Sittingbourne slipped to their biggest away League defeat of the season as they crumbled to a 4-1 hammering at Burgess Hill Town.
It was a disappointing afternoon all round for the visitors as the home side dominated for lengthy periods and took full advantage of a flying start on just two minutes as Tom Chalaye netted. Harry Stannard did level the scores but Lewis Finney’s free kick on the stroke of half time gave the home side the advantage going into the second half that they rarely looked like surrendering as both first half scorers netted again to round off a comfortable three home points!
Brickies boss Darren Blackburn could only name thirteen players and called up young Will Oliver to the bench and started with Kane Rowland alongside Eman Dasho and Lex Allan in three-man back line.
With a sizeable and very noisy travelling support, Sittingbourne made the worst possible start as Chalaye was left free in the middle to convert a left-wing cross after only two minutes.
The home side enjoyed the greater share of the opening twenty minutes, but the Brickies levelled at the half’s midway point. Johan Caney-Bryan did well to hold off a defender before shooting beyond keeper Will Huffer. The ball took a nasty bounce and clattered into the post and Stannard repositioned his feet in a flash to shoot the rebound into the net.
Finney missed a golden chance as he headed a Pat Harding cross over the bar before striking on the stroke of half time. The home side were awarded a free kick just outside the edge of the box. The midfielder stepped up and curled the ball over the wall and netted in off the post with keeper Charlie Taylor motionless in the other half of the goal.
Buoyed by grabbing the advantage, the home side didn’t let their foot off the gas. Hayden Skerry had a shot well saved by Taylor; Max Miller shot into the side netting when he perhaps should have done better before the home side netted their third. If the second had had a favourable bounce for the home side as the free kick went in off a post, the third was definitely fortunate. The ball was crossed from the right for Miller, who’s first touch instead of turning the ball back across goal, sent it straight up in the air. The ball could have gone anywhere but it dropped straight back on Miller’s foot, and at the second time of asking, he found an unmarked Finney who headed home.
The visitors tried to get a foothold and Huffer was forced into a terrific save after Harry Miller’s shot was deflected and as the ball spun into the air, sub-Sam Flisher volleyed a brilliant effort onto the frame of the Burgess Hill goal.
That sadly was as good and as close as it got for the Brickies. Skerry and Miller both shot high and wide from good positions before Chalaye completed the scoring with his second and the home sides fourth two minutes from time.
The defeat 99.99pct all but ends Sittingbourne’s outside Play Off hopes but with three games left, the highest finish in living memory still is very possible!
BURGESS HILL TOWN – Huffer, Moore, Cadman, Tighe, Pollard, Spinks, Harding, Finney, Skerry (Kelly), Chalaye, Miller (Minty)
Subs – Taylor, Davies
SITTINGBOURNE – Charlie Taylor, Anderson, Witt, Miller, Allan, Stannard (Sam Flisher), Rowland (Oliver), Caney-Bryan, Alex Flisher, Dasho, Bancroft (Danny Taylor)
REFEREE – Mr D’Urso