A great effort by Sittingbourne against top of the table and still unbeaten in the league Hastings Utd.

The Brickies played nearly all of the second half with ten men against the run away league leaders after Ben Fitchett was sent off after coming on the pitch as a substitute for Jack Smith on 48 minutes and lasting barely eight minutes before his marching orders.

The game was played mostly in driving rain and gusting wind which made for a very sticky and slippery pitch.  The Sittingbourne defence repelled all that Hastings could throw at them in the first half with Lex Allan especially dealing with all that came his way.

The second half though started badly for Sittingbourne with the only goal of the game, a scrappy affair, being conceded after 53 minutes. Ben Fitchett’s red card was awarded a minute later for quite a dangerous tackle putting an already under pressure Brickies down to 10 men.

Liam Middleton and Sam Stace came on, the latter after Sid Sollis went off with a potentially bad knee injury. Late on, after a very rare Sittingbourne corner, the ball was drilled upfield for a Hastings player to run onto. Allan nearly caught him but he slipped at the crucial moment however the resulting shot went wide and it was a let off for the Brickies.

Sittingbourne:  Jordan Perrin, Jack Smith (Ben Fitchett 48 mins Red 56 mins), Jason Fregene, Chris Webber, Lex Allan, Cory Walters-Wright, Harry Taylor (Yellow), Ikechi Eze, Sid Sollis ( Samuel Stace 71 mins), Josh Oliver ( Liam Middleton 63 mins), Kane Phillip.

Subs not used: Adam Woolcott, Johan Caney-Bryan.

Hastings Utd: Louis Rogers, Ollie Balck (Sam Beale 71 mins), Gary Elphick, Craig Stone Jake Elliott, Davide Rodari (Ben Pope 67 mins), Daniel Ajakaiye, Sam Adams, Ryan Worrall (Jack Dixon 78 mins), Adam Lovatt, Lanre Azeez.

Subs not used: Kenny Pogue, James Pool.

Attendance: 108