In what should have been the South East’s division’s game of the day but it turned into a rout as Sittingbourne were blown away by a Cray Valley PM side who took full advantage of the home sides generosity in a ruthless road display!

Darren Blackburn’s side were left chasing shadows as Kevin Watson’s charges came to Woodstock Park on a mission, and they hit the target time, time and time again. A second half hat-trick from Marcel Barrington was the icing on the cake for Valley as they made a statement to the rest of the Southeast division with a stunning performance that left the Brickies unbeaten home League in tatters!

Johan Caney-Byran was inches away from putting the home side the early lead whilst Barrington was denied by Joe Docherty at the other end before Rory Hill missed an excellent opportunity to put Valley ahead.

They did open the scoring on 21 minutes as Nathan Green was given too much room to run into down the Valley left before slipping the ball past the advancing Docherty before Hill then doubled the visitors lead as he swept home a cross three minutes later.

The Brickies tried to respond but the closest they came was Marvin Hamilton’s header – from Taylor Fishers free kick – that failed to trouble Valley keeper Chris Lewington whilst Valley almost made it three when Hills headed Francis Babalola’s cross inches wide.

Sittingbourne thought they should have had a chance to get back into the game on the stroke of half time when there were loud shouts for a penalty as a cross struck an arm, but referee Anekwe was unimpressed and simply blew for half time.

The second period belonged to the visitors as Barrington helped himself to a hat-trick. And it could have been even worse for the home side before Barrington got into scoring mode – Docherty made a smart save to deny the Cray number nine before Hill was denied his second by the frame of the Sittingbourne goal.

Barrington made it three nil as he wrong footed the keeper for the first of his treble before Babalola was denied by Docherty’s left boot as he capitalised for the umpteenth time in too much room in the Sittingbourne defence. Barrington’s second was a nightmare for Docherty – his low shot that went through the luckless keeper and duly completed his treble by racing through to roll the ball into the net.

The home side made a triple change which for a while got them going but it really wasn’t to be their day and in truth, the one-way traffic of the second period could have been even worse for the home side as sub-Denzel Gayle rounded the keeper but his effort was blocked whilst Docherty denied Barrington a fourth before the home sides day was summed up by Cray’s sixth in stoppage time as a last-ditch challenge saw Gayle’s shot was deflected into the corner of the home net.

For Sittingbourne this really was THE worst day at the office whilst Cray Valley well and truly served notice to the rest of the division of their potential as the dark nights drew in…

SITTINGBOURNE – Docherty, Flisher, Fisher, Hamilton, Pont, Crimmen, Akin, Rowland, Caney-Bryan, Abdulla, Hawkins

Subs – Loynes, Aziamale, Okoye, Bancroft, Dasho

CRAY VALLEY PM – Lewington, Dymond, Green, Blanks, Tumkaya, Sammoutis, Barrington, Babalola, Brefo, Warren, Hill

Subs – Semakula, Gayle, Ompreon, Salmon

REFEREE – Mr Anekwe

Images courtesy of Ken Medwyn