An injury time penalty from Mitchell May deservedly gave Sittingbourne a point against a Three Bridges team who finished were frustrating all afternoon and eventually finished with ten men and a manager on top of the dug out!

Ninety minutes were on the clock and the Brickies’ unbeaten home run on the floor after a mix of frustration and despair. A long throw was hurled into the box where Joe Ellul looked like he’d been mugged from behind, but as the ball ran free Correy Davidson was dumped to the floor as the referee pointed to the spot.

As the Bridges players surrounded the official protesting, May kept his composure and as keeper Leo Anderson dived to his left, the young sub brilliantly rolled the penalty into the opposite corner to give Ryan Maxwell’s side a full deserved point.

With the visitors “parking the bus”, the home side struggled to create clear chances with Sergio Uyi inches away from touching home a long throw in a disappointing first half that had the visitors stretching the letter of the law to the limit as they literally rolled round a large part of the Jarmans Solicitors Stadium.

Cheynie Burgin and Davidson went close before on the stroke of half time, the Brickies wing back was rightly penalised for a foul on half way, but the reaction of the Three Bridges player was astonishing as he rolled and rolled around the Woodstock playing surface – another massive credit note to the ground staff!

Joe Tyrie went close for the home side with a header from a free kick early in the second half only for half way through the period and completely against the run of play and in what was effectively Bridges’ only clear cut attempt on goal, Noel Leighton rose highest to head home to give the visitors a lead that they did not deserve.

Bridges boss Jamie Crellien was then sent from the dugout after an “exchange” with referee Spencer which went too far, and ended up in bookings as well for the Brickies bench.

Incredibly after being dismissed, the Bridges boss suddenly appeared then above the bench after climbing onto something behind the fence and it appeared from the other side of the pitch that he refused to move!

The visitors then were reduced to ten on the pitch after Tad Bromage rightly was sent off for a late second yellow. After being cautioned for a series of niggly fouls earlier, the central defender barged keeper Harley Earle onto a post at a set piece as tempers began to be stretched as the visitors, as they had in the reverse fixture when Leighton had been dismissed for a cynical foul on Donvieve Jones, finished with ten men.

Just as the points appeared lost, the Brickies were awarded a spot kick and deservedly salvaged a point as May rolled home a last minute penalty as the Maxwell revolution and recovery continues now to just one defeat in the last nine as Sittingbourne now stand four points clear of the potential relegation Play Off places but a healthier fourteen ahead of the Division’s bottom two…

SITTINGBOURNE – Earle, Jones, Davidson, Ellul, Tyrie, Uyi (Pont), Mbonkwi, Warren, Burgin (May), Eyoma (Kileba), Graham.

Subs – Follea, Singh.

THREE BRIDGES – Anderson, Ashley, Wilson, Tad Bromage, Villavincencio, O’Neill. Pamment, Leighton, Stone, Rivera, Tennent.

Subs – Mitch Bromage, Ferreira, Donaghey, Lawson, Woollard.

REFEREE – Mr Spencer

Pictures supplied by Paul Golding.