A desperately disappointing match as Sittingbourne were stumped by the big blue Broadbridge bus. 

Repeatedly the Brickies long ball was gobbled up by the blue Broadbridge ball wall and on the stroke of half time the sucker punch to the in-form Brickies as a long free-kick into the box was headed down by Tadley Bromage and the ball bounced into the roof of the net. 

For the Brickies, it was the exact opposite to the previous weeks 5-1 drubbing of Ashford as they really struggled to get going, and indeed the closest the home side came was when sub Chris Harris had a header brilliantly turned away by keeper Alfi Hadfield, and late on Danny Parish fired over as a throw in dropped at his feet. 

The writing really was on the wall in the opening half as the home side huffed and puffed without any real result or opening of chance worthy of the name. Indeed, the closest the Brickies came was a left-wing ball in from Ayman that bounced off keeper Alfie Hadfield onto a post and back into the arms of a relieved keeper. 

Broadbridge set up to frustrate with extraordinarily little intention of going forward but hit Sittingbourne with the ultimate sucker punch on the stroke of half time. A long free kick into the box was headed downwards by Bromage and the ball bounced into the roof of the net. 

The second period began in a similar fashion as the home team struggled. The introduction of Chris Harris from the bench seemed to spark the Brickies and almost immediately a cross from the left was brilliantly met by Harris and his header was brilliantly beaten away by Hadfield. 

As the home side pressed forward increasingly, they left gaps at the back and were indebted to a fabulous Joe Tyrie tackle and block to deny Mason Doughty. Home keeper Bobby Mason then took the ball clean off the head of the striker’s head as the Brickies became increasingly stretched. 

Harris hit an angled drive too high before the home sides afternoon was summed up as a long Bagasan Graham throw dropped over a defender and a startled Danny Parish fired over. 

A disappointing afternoon and a game that really will not live long in the memory! 

SITTINGBOURNE – Mason, Jones, Graham, Cole (Piorkowski), Tyrie, Arthur, Bentley (Harris), Hope, Parish, May, Ayman (Ilic) 

Subs – Snell, Wigg 

BROADBRIDGE HEATH – Hadfield, Terry (Todd), Chesworth, Penfold, Bromage, Waddingham, Lemon, Buchanan, Aubrey, Parmiter (Evans), Doughty 

Subs – Lindsey, Schulz 

REFEREE – Mr Valko 

Images courtesy of Paul Golding