Who’d be a football club manager! Aslan Odev, in his first go at management, has to contend with a list of unavailable players that now includes John Coker, Bola Dowadu, Dan Parkinson, and Chris Elliott, all injured, Tyrone Guthrie (suspended for two more games), and Kane Phillip unavailable through work commitments.
Adding to this is Ben Davisson who is joining Ashford Utd.
This has all meant that it’s been a steep learning curve for some of the players who will now have to be regulars. However, despite this, that’s two out of the last three games that Sittingbourne should really have won, so the lessons to be learnt from these defeats includes how to pace a game and to hold on to what you’ve got!
Ramsgate started lively but it was Sittingbourne who took the lead when ten minutes into the game David Smith found himself in acres of space and spotted a huge gap to the right of ex Brickie Jordan Carey’s goal and fired the ball home.
Ramsgate responded well and on 35 minutes Tom Chapman beat the off-side trap to race into the area only to be caught by the chasing Fabrice Blewordah, the referee awarding a penalty. Up stepped Aaron Millbank who must have been watching the six nations rugby, as he skied the ball well over the bar to the relief of the Brickies faithful.
The half ended with Rhys Bartlett making a good run down the left and finished with a shot that was hooked off the Rams line.
Sittingbourne started the second half on top, with Rhys Bartlett again looking dangerous down the left. Jide Okimeji had a shot that was goal-bound before hitting a Ramsgate player. But Ramsgate too were having chances with one cross in particular just missed by Rams substitute Rory Smith, but it was the Brickies who increased their lead when, from an excellent Tom Loynes corner, Lex Allan appeared to get his head to the ball which bounced off Carey and into the goal. Sittingbourne’s euphoria lasted barely 3 minutes before Tom Chapman snatched one back for the Rams.
Things were still looking Ok for the Brickies until the fateful last ten minutes, beginning on 81 minutes when Liam Dickson headed home the equaliser from a free kick, then 3 minutes later the game turned on its head when a goalmouth scramble gave Aaron Millbank the chance to make amends for his penalty miss and he squeezed the ball into the Brickies net for the Rams winner.
SITTINGBOURNE: Muhammed Otuyo, Chris Webber(C), Fabrice Blewordah (yellow), Charlie Allen (Germaine Agyemang 62 mins), Josh Dorling, Lex Allan (yellow), David Smith (Abdumalik Usman), Jide Okimeji, Kane Rowland, Tom Loynes, Rhys Bartlett.
Subs not used; Mitch Horn, Harry Brooks.
RAMSGATE: Jordan Carey, Jacob Mensah, Jack Penny (Yellow), Liam Dickson (C), George Crimmen, Ollie Gray, Tom Chapman (Samuel Langford 84 mins), Tijan Jadama, Aaron Millbank, Kyron Lightfoot (Rory Smith 64 mins), Alfie Paxman.
Subs not used: Tom Hickman, Luke WSheatley, Luke Watkins.
Officials:
Referee: Gerry Heron.
Assistyants: Daniel Proctor, Daniel D’Urso
Tuesday 6th March 2018,
Bostik South
Sittingbourne 2 (Smith 10 mins, Allan 61 mins), Ramsgate 3 (Chapman 63 mins, Dickson 81 mins, Millbank 83 mins).
Att: 97