Taylor Fisher’s pile-driver earned Sittingbourne a point in a tight game against Three Bridges.
Full-back Taylor rifled home the equaliser with just three minutes left was the least the Brickies deserved. Darren Blackburn’s side could easily have been two or three in front before the break as both James Hawkins and Harrison Pont both rattled the frame of the visitor’s goal whilst Harry Stannard forced Bridges keeper Leo Anderson into a fine save.
It was a shock after the break when against the run of play the visitors took the lead when Dan Perry crashed home, and it looked as though the visitors would leave Woodstock with a very fortunate victory but then came Fisher’s heroics…
The late drama seemed a million miles away from the early stages as the goal-less draw the sides had played out in midweek (Sittingbourne edged a penalty shoot out in the Velocity Trophy) looked as though it could easily have been repeated in a game that wasn’t helped by an incredibly fussy official who at times seemed more concerned that throw ins were taken in the right place rather than cautioning players for flailing elbows and crude challenges!
Chances were hard to come by early on – Perry wasted the visitors best as he shot well wide, whilst at the other end Harry Stannard’s low shot was comfortably held. Sam Okoye-Ahaneku then came to Sittingbourne’s rescue with a great challenge to deny Alex Barbary, whilst Stannard extended Anderson with a low drive which brought out a terrific full length save.
The Brickies came within a fraction of opening the scoring after Fisher’s brilliant run forward was crudely ended by a late lunge which should have by didn’t bring a booking. Hawkins though was desperately unlucky to see his curling effort beat Anderson before hitting the right post.
With the home side well on top as the half ended, all they needed was a goal to give them the deserved advantage, and Pont was left shaking his head in disbelief as his low shot from the edge of the box smacked against the base of the left post, again with Anderson well beaten.
Bridges started the second half well and for the first fifteen minutes or so were well on top, although the free kick that led to their goal on fifty-five minutes was contentious. Referee Wilson awarded a free kick for what most of the crowd thought was a good tackle, and the home side seemed to switch off and for really the only time in the game, an opposition player was unmarked in the box. But didn’t Perry make Sittingbourne pay as he blasted the ball past a hopelessly exposed Harry Brooks and into the roof of the net.
The goal meant that Three Bridges could well and truly “park the bus” forcing Sittingbourne to huff and puff trying to get back into the game but the home side’s final ball into the box was repelled time and time again. The closest they came to threatening Anderson’s goal came from the right boot of Ahmed Abdulla, but his curling beauty just didn’t curl enough and went wide of the left post.
Then came Fisher’s late heroics to salvage a point as he hammered a right footed drive – a right footed drive – which flew into the visitor’s net. Did it flick off a defender en route? Possibly but no one where red cared as the scores were rightly levelled.
The game though ended on a sour note as Emmanuel Dasho was taken out by a horrendous challenge from Ben Bacon, yet incredibly Mr Wilson “only” brandished a yellow card when the tackle was X-rated, and the Brickies defender was very fortunate to be able to continue. The bad blood continued after the final whistle, when the official actually showed Pont a red card presumably for something he said in utter frustration!
SITTINGBOURNE – Brooks, Okoye, Fisher, Monger (Ajala), Dasho, Pont, Stannard, Rowland, Abdulla, Hawkins (Caney-Bryan), Smith (Bancroft)
Subs – Flisher
THREE BRIDGES – Anderson, Ashley, Bromage, Brackpool, Gayler, O’Neill, Leighton, Ferreria, Villavicencio, Barbary, Perry
Subs – Kay, Bacon, Lawson, Mobsby, Aubrey
REFEREE – Mr Wilson