No manager gets every substitution right, but here was one that won the game for Sittingbourne. Soon after coming on, Kane Phillip brilliantly ran from his own half to set up the only goal of the game for on-fire Johan Caney-Bryan, his third of a highly successive week.

This was Sittingbourne’s fourth game in succession in which they’ve been unbeaten over 90 minutes, and it was also their first home league win of the season.

The ingredients are undoubtedly beginning to gel. A front player who’s scoring goals, a midfield prepared to run their socks off, a determined and accomplished back four who hate conceding goals, and a cool-as-cucumber goalkeeper in the form of his young life.

This was by no means the best game of the season, but what an important win for Sittingbourne over a Hythe team who did the double over them last season.

Nathan Elder, who swapped the assistant manager role at Sittingbourne for the same job at Hythe, must have been left wondering if he’d made the right choice.

His new team have a lot of experience, but perhaps that also slowed them down and made it hard for them to match the youthful exuberance of Sittingbourne.

It was a beautiful autumnal afternoon at Woodstock, in front of a noisily supportive largest home crowd of the season, and the game had a dramatic start when Tommy Fagg was booked in the very first minute for a trip.

89 minutes is a lot for any hard-tackling midfielder to hold out without getting in trouble again, let alone Fagg who never backs out of a challenge.

Hearts were in mouth when Hythe were very quick to point out another first half foul by him, but he escaped a second yellow and was good as gold after that.

There was more drama in just the second minute when Caney-Bryan got clean through on skipper Chris Webber’s pass, but his finish lacked guile and the keeper was able to tip it over.

Hearts were in mouth again for Sittingbourne on 20 minutes when keeper Tom Benham hurt his ankle and looked as if he wouldn’t be able to carry on.

Striker Sid Sollis even had his shirt off in apparent readiness to take over, but Benham opted to soldier on, even though he had to give up taking goal-kicks after that.

Sittingbourne’s ambitious start seemed to fade a bit as they lost possession too easily with attempted long passes to get behind what they must have assumed was a Hythe back line lacking in pace.

The visitors had a great chance to take the lead after 36 minutes only for Simpson to head over from close range, and Sittingbourne manager Chris Lynch decided to change things a few minutes later, withdrawing Josh Oliver and opting for the extra pace of Phillip out wide.

There was a moment of controversy just before half-time when Benham kicked the ball out after a Hythe player went down dramatically, seemingly desperately injured, and then they refused to give the ball back from the throw-in.

The first few minutes of the second half decided the game. Benham made an excellent save from Tom Carlton – son of watching former Sittingbourne player Paul – and then repeated the act as a close range header came in from the corner.

And then Sittingbourne won it. Hythe were caught on the back foot unsuccessfully appealing for a free-kick, and Phillip raced up the field with the ball.

He exchanged passes with Sid Sollis, got a lucky break when the ball came back to him off a Hythe player, and still at full speed crossed low to the near post. Caney-Bryan anticipated beautifully to get there just in time to score from close range, though he was clattered in the process and had to go off injured.

That’s all three goals for Sittingbourne in the past week for Caney-Bryan, who’s terrific at finishing instinctively like this.

Hythe captain Collin had a couple of chances to equalise but headed one of them over and saw the other one stopped by Benham, and Sittingbourne held out well.

All of the back four were excellent, with Jason Fregene having another storming game at left-back where he’s proved a great asset for Sittingbourne this season.

That’s two 1-0 Saturday wins in a row for Sittingbourne – another one next weekend when Tooting & Mitcham are the visitors in the FA Trophy would make for a brilliant hat-trick in what’s been a successful October so far.

Sittingbourne: Tom Benham, Ben Fitchett (Yellow card), Jason Fregene, Chris Webber, Lex Allan, Corey Walters-Wright, Josh Oliver (Kane Phillip, 40 min), Tommy Fagg  (Yellow card), Sid Sollis, Johan Caney-Bryan (Enoch Adjei, 52 min), Chris Barnard (Yellow card (Harrison Pont, 85 min). 

Subs not used: Liam Middleton, Jack Smith.

Goals: Caney-Bryan 51

Hythe Town: Will Godman, Danny Devine, Aaron Simpson, James Rogers, Jamie Coyle, Ollie Rowe, Ross Ibbertson, Tom Carlton (Callum Adonis-Taylor, 79 min), Kiernan Hughes-Mason (Yellow card), Frannie Collin, Aristide Bassele (Jarred Trespadene, 61 min).

Subs not used: Jude Harding, Arthur Pickering, Oliver Griffiths.

Referee: Mr Jack Packman;

Assistants: Mr Paul Agboola, Mr Liam Giles.

Attendance: 217

Picture by Paul Golding