For the second year running the Brickies were outclassed at the Pilot Field but at least it was by a slightly better margin, last season’s fixture ended in a 5-0 victory for Hastings.

Only one Sittingbourne player in last season’s defeat turned out today for the Brickies and that was Ben Fitchett, Hastings had three in their squad who played in the fixture last season.

A feature of the Hastings game, as it was last season, were long throws into the Brickies box, this year by Oliver Black, and the Brickies defenders had no real answer to these.  

This was a story of could do better by the Brickies, that were made worse by the swirling wind round the ground and the slippery conditions, with the first two goals looking to be down to the usually consistent Jordan Perrin.

On nine minutes Perrin failed to hold the ball from a long throw when under pressure and Ben Pope stabbed the ball home. Eleven minutes later Perrin seemed to lose the flight of the ball from a Sam Adams corner, again under huge pressure from the Hastings players.

The third goal came on 32 minutes when a cross inside to Adams should have been cleared but the defender slipped allowing Adams to get a clear sight of goal and score.

Sam Adams completed his hat trick on 61 minutes with the final Hastings goal and best of the four when the ball was played around the Brickies penalty box before landing at the feet of the unmarked Adams who fired home.

Hastings had several other chances, principally from the dangerous Lanre Azeez but he failed to add to the scoreline.

There was brief flurry of active in and around the Hastings box in the last 10 minutes of the game, with Campbell and Caney-Bryan looking the most likely to get something, but in time added on Rogers turned the ball round a post from Caney-Bryan’s shot and the Brickies in truth were pleased to hear the final whistle.

Hastings United: Louis Rogers, Oliver Black, Gary Elphick, Craig Stone, Daniel Ajakaiye (Daniel Ajakaiye 67 mins), Ben Pope (Warren Mfula 77 mins), Sam Adams (Sam Adams 75 mins), James Pool, Adam Lovatt, Lanre Azeez

Subs not used: Jerald Aboagye, Jack Dixon.

Sittingbourne: Jordan Perrin, Ben Fitchett, Temi Oladejo, Cameron Brodie, Lex Allan, Corey Walters-Wright, Kane Phillip (Sid Sollis 80 mins), Thomas Bramble (Jack Hanson 63 mins), Roman Campbell, Johan Caney-Bryan, Chris Barnard (Sam Stace 68 mins)

Subs not used: Rhys Shirley-Clarke, Ikechi Eze.

Referee: Alex Bradley

Attendance: 640