The first Swale derby of the season had just about everything – four goals, woodwork being struck, even late controvesy at both ends of the pitch.

It had everything except a winner as Sittingbourne and Sheppey United shared four goals on Bank Holiday Monday in front of a bumper crowd at Woodstock. 

With the home side coming from behind – Dan Bradshaw putting the visitors ahead – with Ayman being the unlikely hero with two neat finishes, referee Rogue pointed to the spot in the fourth minute of stoppage time when a long innocuous free kick into the home box saw a Sheppey player fall to the ground, and despite the home protests Richard Hamill salvaged a point for the Islanders that they barely deserved.

Indeed, even after the spot kick, Brickies sub-Jean-Baptiste Fischer thundered a brilliant curling effort against the inside of Sheppey’s left post and in the ensuing melee, fellow sub-Javaun Splatt was pulled down only for the official this time to award the visitors a free kick. 

It was an eagerly awaited contest, and the opening half hour was more intriguing than exciting as both sides probed each other. 

Sheppey took the lead on the half hour after the home defence was caught at sixes and sevens. A deep cross from the left looked as though it had gone out and when the Brickies didn’t clear, the ball was worked back to Bradshaw who forced the ball home despite the valiant efforts of Donvieve Jones on the line.

Running in front of the home fans with your finger on your lips was possibly not the best celebration for the ex-Chatham striker though! 

The Islanders enjoyed their best spell of the game and only a superb full length save from Bobby Mason kept out Eddie Allsopp’s angled shot.

Just as it seemed that the home side needed half time to regroup, they levelled with the most straight forward of goals – a long free kick was brilliantly flicked on by Alfie Bloomfield and Ayman reacted quickest beating keeper Aiden Prall to the ball to prod home to equalise. 

Bloomfield was replaced by Splatt at the break and his presence seemed to give the Brickies something else going forward as the home side bossed the second period for long periods.

Dsean Theobalds curled a free kick just too high. Baptiste’s superb cross was headed inches wide by the late arriving Jones before Prall was relieved to see a Theobalds corner go straight through the box without a home player’s touch after he was left stranded after missing a punch. 

The home side finally got their noses in front seven minutes from time as Ayman ghosted into the far post to plant a header wide of the Sheppey keeper and into the net for the goal that the home side richly deserved. 

It sparked the visitors into life, and they had their only two chances of the half as stoppage time begun before the late penalty drama – firstly Alex Willis skied the ball high over the bar from six yards out with the goal at his mercy and then with the home defence dreaming the visitors hit the bar with their next attack.

Then came the late “drama” with Hamill driving the spot kick beyond the despairing Mason, Fischer’s thunderbolt and Splatt’s “non-foul”! 

Honours even – just but certainly not deserved. 

SITTINGBOURNE – Mason, Jones, Graham, Piorkowski, Nolan Samuel, Goodman (Fischer), Theobalds, Osude, Woodward (Osei-Owusu), Bloomfield (Splatt), Ayman,  

Subs – Singh, Kithambo 

SHEPPEY UNITED – Prall, Birch, Del Morgan, Majoyagbe, Hamill, Leonard, Wilkins (Lambert), Bradshaw (Willis), Allsopp, Bessey-Saldanha, Morris 

Subs – Diallo, Housego, Wisson 

REFEREE – Mr Hogue