A dramatic stoppage time goal from former Sittingbourne midfielder Toby Bancroft sank his former side as Hythe Town recorded their fifth win in their last six games, on a Valentine’s night where there was little love on the coast.

But the goal was only part of the ridiculous drama and tension at Reachfields when three members of the visitors saw the wrong type of red card on this most romantic of days and there was the bizarre issue of a “refused” third substitution on the grounds that it had already been made confused?

Well, so were most of the crowd… and that’s before we mention the officials overall performance!

Both sides went into the game with confidence high – Steve Watts’s home side after being Chatham Town at the weekend and Ryan Maxwell’s Brickies after their own revival continued with a deserved point at Ashford United.

On a hard, bobbling pitch that really made any sort of flowing football extremely difficult, the visitors had the first real chance when Youssouf Bamba tested Steve Phillips at his near post.

Cheynie Burgin then glanced a header fractionally wide of the post before at the other end, Harley Earle made an outstanding save to a shot that hit a horrible bobble in front of him.

Things started to go wrong for the visitors just after twenty minutes when referee Dempster showed his first “non Valentines” card of the night to Harrison Pont for what appeared to be a hard but firm challenge.

On the half hour, the official showed a straight red card to Sergio Uyi for what the official indicated was an off the ball incident as both sides struggled with the conditions under foot.

The second half started tightly as the ten men set their stall out with Pont and Joe Ellul outstanding at the heart of the defence with Matt Warren covering every blade of grass across the middle as the home side probed and probed without really creating anything to test Earle in the Brickies goal.

Things were to take another turn the home side’s way on the hour when Bamba was shown a second yellow for a comment he made towards the official after trying to pick himself up after a challenge.

The nine men hounded, chased and resisted everything the home side had with Burgin magnificently ploughing a lone furrow up front and indeed twice the giant striker so nearly found an unlikely goal – his first effort was held low by Phillips whilst the second thundered into the side netting.

The game descended into complete farce in stoppage time when the officials stopped Maxwell from making the Brickies’ third change. As Joe Tyrie looked to come on to seal up what would have been a thoroughly deserved rear guard point, the assistant refused to allow the change seemingly because he thought that the Brickies had already made three when in fact Tyrie was to be the third.

The referee got involved and the visitor’s boss was sent to the stand for his protests before incredibly, the two officials conferred and the change was allowed when it appeared they had confused a half time sub that the home side had made when Josh Stirman replaced Jarred Trespaderne.

With time ticking down, the game’s only goal arrived which was so tough on Earle, Pont, Ellul and the other six who had put everything on the line to hold onto the point.

Frannie Collin’s free-kick was magnificently tipped onto the post by Earle, but the young keeper had no luck as the ball looped up for Bancroft to bundle the ball home despite the attention – and the subsequent protests – of Donvieve Jones, who was convinced a hand had been used.

But as had seemed the theme throughout, the home side got the benefit of any doubt and the goal stood!

Hythe’s win lifts them to within three points of the Play Off places, whilst Sittingbourne return home where they face five home games in their next six as they look to pull away from the wrong end of the table.

HYTHE TOWN – Phillips, Liam Smith, Goldsmith (Bancroft), Steventon, Fregene, Allan (Collin), Ethan Smith, Trespaderne (Stirman), Caney-Bryan, Ngandu, Itauma.

Subs not used – Williamson, Hamilton.

SITTINGBOURNE – Earle, Jones, Graham (Davidson), Ellul, Uyi, Pont, Mbonkwi, Warren, Burgin (Tyrie), Owusu-Boakye (Follea), Bamba.

Sub not used – Kileba

REFEREE – Mr Dempster