Sittingbourne moved into second place in the early Isthmian South East table with what was in the end a comfortable win over Herne Bay under the Woodstock lights. 

Second half goals from Chris Harris and D’sean Theobalds sealed the points for Ryan Maxwell’s side and capped a terrific four days for the Brickies following Saturday’s 6-0 drubbing of Erith & Belvedere. 

It was a disappointing night though for Steve Lovell’s Bay, who started the night one place behind their hosts in fourth and arrived in Swale on the back of four unbeaten in the League since they were narrowly beaten by Ramsgate at the end of August. 

The first half was as cagey as you might expect from two sides in the top four of the division with neither keeper called upon to save a shot worthy of the name – indeed the closest either side came to troubling the keepers was just before the break when Bola Dawodu shot into Sittingbourne’s side-netting from the angle. 

Home keeper Bobby Mason needed to make an excellent smart save within the opening stages of the second period as a low shot from the edge of the box took a wicked ricochet, taking the ball heading towards the top corner before Mason’s timely intervention. 

The home side took the lead with a goal that Bay keeper Harry Brooks will not want to see again. Theobalds’ deep free kick caught on the gusting wind, completely deceiving Brooks and Harris rose unopposed at the back post to head home. 

Another defensive slip shortly afterwards released Javaun Splatt into the box, but his angled drive hammered back into play off the underside of the crossbar with the keeper motionless. 

The Brickies eventually doubled their lead and sealed the points in the final five minutes when Theobalds, who had another terrific game for the home side, beat a despairing keeper from the edge of the box with a super low drive. 

The win extends the Brickies’ terrific current run to just two defeats in their last twenty Isthmian League games, lifting them into second place in the table with a weekend trip to Burgess Hill whilst the Bay will look forward to returning home to Winches Field and to entertaining Lancing on Saturday. 

SITTINGBOURNE – Mason, Jones, Graham, Woodward, Tyrie, Splatt (Balarabe), Theobalds, Harris, Piorkowski (Osei-Owusu), Ayman (Singh) 

Subs – Nolan-Samuel, Stringer 

HERNE BAY – Brooks, German, Hanfrey, Pont, Friend, Carrington, Wright (Takaloo), Kamara, Solako, Dawodu, Smith 

Subs – Gilbert, Burnett, Hassan, Whitton 

REFEREE – Mr Spain

Pictures supplied by Paul Golding.