Goals at either end of the second period eased FA Cup giant-killer Sittingbourne into the next round of the FA Trophy.
Goals from Codey Cosgrave and Richie Hammill eased the Brickies into the next round of the Trophy where to be fair, the visitors offered truly little as an attacking force.
After a goal-less first half that saw Troy Howard hit the post and Cosgrave have an effort palmed over, the stand-in right back was not to be denied minutes into the second period as Cosgrave lobbed home on the angle after Henry Sinai and Howard caused chaos in the Rovers defence.
The Brickies did not hit the heights of Tuesday’s Cup win at Dover but deservedly netted a second in stoppage time after a VAR length discussion between referee and assistant gave the penalty which Hammill swept home.
The opening half belonged to the home side – Sinai went close with a stabbed effort just wide; Howard’s low drive beat keeper Kacper Orlowski only to thump against the right post and then the keeper did very well to keep out efforts from Hammill and Cosgrave.
After the break, the Brickies upped the tempo still further and within moments came the goal that Sittingbourne deserved. Sinai did well down the left but his deep cross fell for a stretching Howard.
The right winger did well – as Sinai had done as both wide men tormented the visitors all afternoon and Howard’s lay off found Cosgrave who’s first time lob into the box sailed over Orlowski and into the corner of the net. Shot or cross? No-one in Blakeys Shed cared as the Brickies finally had broken through.
Rovers tried to respond and were shut out by the returning Jack Steventon – reunited with former Hythe central defensive partner Liam Smith who along Smith looked safe and secure enough that the home side were able to not miss Chris Arthur who was rested after the heroics against Dover in the FA Cup win in midweek.
Indeed, the only chance the visitors really had came when Earle came a long way off his line for a cross which under pressure from Nahum Melvin-Lambert the keeper did not quite reach, yet it was Earle who was able to leap high in the air to pluck the goal bound lob out of the sky.
The win was finally secured in stoppage time. Jay Beckford, who worked tirelessly throughout in the middle of the park, looked like he was going to take advantage of poor defensive play only to go down under challenge from keeper and defender.
On the assistant’s insistence, referee Joss had a long conversation with the flag man and eventually pointed to the spot, and with regular penalty taker Mitch May having been taken off in the last ten minutes, up stepped Hammill and drilled the ball beyond a despairing Orlowski and the Brickies were through to the Second Qualifying Round for the fifth year in a row.
SITTINGBOURNE – Earle, Cosgrave (Arthur), Lukombo, Beckford, Smith, Steventon, Sinai (Ayman), Hammill, May (Georgiou), Kingsford, Howard
Subs – Torsiello and Graham
SUTTON COMMON ROVERS – Orlowski, Manning (Barnett), Khayne, Bromfield, Lloyd (Osei), Empochontsif, Smith (Obisanya), Osbourne, Melvin-Lambert, Iqbal (Dobell), Otete
Sub – Aziz
REFEREE – Mr Joss
Images courtesy of Paul Golding