Sevenoaks Town came back from 2-0 down to salvage a penalty win in the opening night of the Isthmian League Velocity Trophy.

This was a new competition which goes to penalties after 90 minutes following draw, with both sides getting a point and an extra point when they win the penalty shoot out.

Sevenoaks came back from the dead & won the game via the penalty shoot out while Sittingbourne will be kicking themselves for letting it going to penalties as they controlled the game for an hour with a great defensive performance but then the game became bitty as both sides bought on their substitutes.

   The game started quickly for Sittingbourne as in the 4^th minute they took the lead when first Roman Campbell found space in the area and from 6 yards his shot was superbly saved by Ben Bridle-Card but it came out, hit Jack Miles & ended up in the back of the net.

Sevenoaks started to have a lot of possession without causing any real problems and in the 11^th minute Alec Fiddes on the edge of the area saw his shot saved by Tom Benham.

Twelve minutes later and Sittingbourne increased their lead when Kane Phillip received the ball on the right on halfway and ran forward across the pitch into the area & from 16 yards saw his shot hit the back of the goal.

Sevenoaks had a glorious chance to get a goal back in the 32^nd minute when a long ball forward saw Benham come out of his area & cleared it straight to Fiddes whose chipped shot from 30 yards was cleared of the line by Abdel Ndaw.

In the 40^th minute it nearly became three when Joshua Oliver’s free kick from 25 yards was pushed around the post by Bridle-Card.

In the last minute of the half a corner to the back post found Miles but his header went past the post.

  The second half took a while to get going as both sides seemed to give the ball away, in the 55^th minute Sevenoaks nearly got a goal back when a ball into the area saw Frankie Sawyer latch on to it and his shot from 15 yards was saved by Benham.

Nine minutes later catastrophe struck as Sevenoaks did get a goal back, a long ball into the area saw Benham call for it but he missed it under pressure and Adrian Stone stroked the ball into an empty net.

In the space of 30 seconds the game turned. Firstly Lewis West on the right got into the area and his shot was saved by Bridle-Card and his long clearance found Ainsley Everett who controlled it & from 8 yards smashed it into the net. Game on.

Sevenoaks were now buoyed by this & went for the winner. Two minutes they nearly got it when a corner to the near post saw Everett side foot it towards goal but Benham made a great save to keep Sittingbourne in the game.

A minute later another corner to the near post saw Everett’s flicked shot again superbly kept out by Benham.

The 74^th minute saw Sawyer rob Caleb Roberts & ran towards goal before seeing his shot go over the bar.

In the 88^th minute against the run of play a free kick into the area saw Chris Webber volley over bar and in the 91st minute Kyle De Silva saw his 20 yard shot saved by Benham and then the referee blew for full time, penalties would now take place.

Sevenoaks went first & De-Silva scored, Campbell’s effort was saved. Everett then scored with Johan Caney-Bryan also finding the net.

After successful spot kicks from Fraser Walker, Festus Lori and Connor French, Enoch Ako-Adjei’s effort was saved.

Bradley Schafer scored and won the game; Sevenoaks pick up 2 points while Sittingbourne pick up 1 point.

        SEVENOAKS TOWN:

1. B.BRIDLE-CARD 2. H.KINGDON (61) 3. K.HUGHES 4. D.CUMBER 5. J.MILES 6. B.GORHAM 7. T.RICHARDSON-BROWN(62)

8.    A.FIDDES  9. A.STONE (64)  10. F.SAWYER (78)    11. R.FOWLER (61)

SUBS USED:  12. B.SCHAFER (61)  17. K.DA SILVA (61)  15. A.EVERETT (62)   14. C.FRENCH (64)  16. F.WALKER (78)

SUBS NOT USED: ALL USED

BOOKINGS:  11. R.FOWLER (48)  12. B.SCHAFER (90)

        SITTINGBOURNE:

1. T.BENHAM    2. A.NDAW (63)  3. J.FREGENE  4. T.GUTHRIE  5. L.ALLAN  6. C.ROBERTS 7. K.PHILLIP (42)

8.    J.OLIVER (78)   9. R.CAMPBELL  10. L.MIDDLETON (67)  11. F.LORI

SUBS USED: 14. C.WEBBER (42)  12. L.WEST (63)  17. J.CANEY-BRYAN (67)  16. E.AKO-ADJEI (78)

SUBS NOT USED: 15. C.BARNARD

BOOKINGS: NONE

REFEREE: Mr J.SIMPSON

ASSISTANTS:  Miss L.SAUNDERS  & Mr D.JOSEPH