Hythe Town maintained their push towards a home playoff tie in Ryman South with a comfortable 2-0 win at Woodstock Park against Sittingbourne this afternoon.

 

Hythe’s result sees them move level on 84 points, although still in fourth place, with Worthing (3rd) and Dorking Wanderers (2nd with 2 games in hand); the three teams separated only by goal difference.

Dave Cook scored for the second game in a week to break the deadlock on 22 minutes, through a cheeky backheel inside the Sittingbourne six-yard box, and Alfie May virtually sealed the game on 42, powering home a header as the home side struggled to cope with set-pieces.

The first half was one-way traffic towards the Sittingbourne goal, although for the first 20, it looked as though the most exciting moment was when one of the stewards tried to catch the ball in the same hand as his leek & potato soup; with the inevitable consequence.

Hythe took the lead on 22, exposing a weakness in the Sittingbourne defence that they would exploit again later.  Jack Mahoney swung a corner into the near post towards a crowd of players, and the ball dropped over into the six-yard box, where it rebounded to the feet of Dave Cook.  The Hythe midfielder summed the situation up, and before anyone could react, he flicked the ball into the net with a backheel.

Frankie Sawyer attempted a volley with the outside of his right foot that slid past the left post as Hythe continued to push forward, and Sittingbourne’s only sight of goal came from a delicate clip through from Tom Brunt that Tom Carlse couldn’t bring under his control having ghosted beyond the back four.

The lead was doubled on 42 from the third in a sequence of Sawyer corners from the left wing.  This time Craig Cloke got a flick, diverting the corner to the back post, where Alfie May arrived at pace to crash his header into the net.

The second half was a more even affair, and at times, it looked like Sittingbourne might find a way back into the match, but Hythe’s defence held firm.  It took less than two minutes for Mahoney to latch onto a chest-pass from Jack Harris and curl a shot just past the right post, although Mahoney’s afternoon was soon to be cut short by injury.

Sittingbourne’s first shot on goal came in the 51st minute, through a 35-yard Steven Ita freekick that didn’t really test Joe Mant, and seconds later the home side should have troubled the Hythe keeper further.  Jack Steventon’s crossfield ball found Carlse in behind Josh Burchell, and he directed a header back across goal, but none of his teammates had gambled to get into the area.

Connor Hood started and finished a quick Hythe counter-attack, intercepting a pass forward on halfway, before it was shifted wide via May to Sawyer.  The Cannons’ winger swept a cross through the area, finding Hood at the back post, but the fullback’s shot was drilled across goal and wide.

Brunt stung the palms of Mant with a 30-yard piledriver that the keeper did well to turn over the bar, and substitute Hicham Akhazzan weaved his way into the area, but his shot swerved agonisingly away from the right upright.

Mant had one further save to make from Carlse, holding a powerful shot above his head, after the midfielder had latched onto a rebound off Michael Hurcomb’s back, and Sittingbourne’s frustrating afternoon was summed up by Ita lashing a shot wildly over when he was breaking past the Hythe defence.

SITTINGBOURNE: Adam Molloy, Billy Parkinson, Conrad Lee, Jono Richardson, George Crimmen, Jack Steventon, Tom Brunt (Hicham Akhazzan 71), Tom Carlse, Miles Cornwell (Michael Hurcomb 79), Dan Hughes (Stephen Wright 58), Steven Ita.

Subs not used: Jake Embery, Scott Whibley.

Caution: Conrad Lee 84.

HYTHE TOWN: Joe Mant, Connor Hood (William Thomas 88), Josh Burchell, David Botterill, Craig Cloke, Nick Reeves, Dave Cook, Jack Mahoney (Ben Wilson 52), Frankie Sawyer, Alfie May, Jack Harris (Jon Pilbeam 68).

Subs not used: John Walker, Louis Sprosen.

Goals: Dave Cook 22, Alfie May 42.

Cautions: Dave Cook 61, Craig Cloke 66, Nick Reeves 73, Ben Wilson 83.

Attendance: 136
Referee: Mr James Simpson
Assistants: Mr Nicholas Brown and Mr Luke Donaldson