After three successive narrow defeats, Sittingbourne returned to winning ways with what in the end was a comfortable home win against the side who came into the game in possession of the final coveted Play Off place.
Haywards Heath will have left Woodstock disappointed with the way their challenge badly faded in the second half after the Brickies edged a close first half through skipper Kane Rowlands sixth of the season on the half hour. That lead was brilliantly converted into three points before the hour with sub Johan Caney-Bryan scoring twice – the second a wonderful team goal as he hammered home his 13th goal of the season from Harry Stannard’s superb cross.
Young Harry Miller, playing just his third game of the season after injury, showed the home supporters what they had been missing with a really composed and industrious performance in the middle of the park that left you wondering what might have been if the young man hadn’t missed most of the season.
The afternoon hadn’t started very well for the home side as the third minute, Alex Flisher was forced off with a shoulder problem which saw Caney-Bryan introduced from the bench.
The visitors created the best of the early chances and they had early shouts for a penalty waved away by referee Butcher after Jerson Dos-Santos went down after a challenge. Trevor McCreadie then wasted a golden chance for the visitors as he blazed well over the bar from the edge of the box before Sittingbourne created their first chance of any note – Rowland getting on the end of a long Taylor Fisher ball and his header just didn’t run for Caney-Bryan and the chance was smothered.
Harry Stannard then forced Town keeper Billy Collings into a great low save as the shot took a wicked bounce just in front of the diving keeper, before McCreadie was denied at the other end by a fabulous Lex Allan challenge.
On the half hour, the game turned in the Brickies way when Rowland got on the end of a long ball forward and used his power to hold off defenders before magnificently clipping the ball past the advancing Collings and into the net for his sixth goal of the season and his first goal at Woodstock since the start of November!
Whatever boss Darren Blackburn and his coaching team said in the home dressing room at the break proved to be golden as the home side roared out of the blocks at the start of the second half and within minutes, Caney-Byran doubled the lead. The Brickies top scorer did really well to win a long bouncing ball forward and get enough of a touch to beat the advancing Collings.
If the first two Sittingbourne goals hadn’t been picture book, the third most definitely was as the move of the game produced a stunning third for the home side. Rowland and Stannard battled to win possession out wide and when the ball fell to Stannard, his whipped cross almost begged to be finished and Caney-Bryan duly obliged as his slammed the ball into the net racing into the box and not breaking stride.
Haywards Heath were stunned and, in all honesty, then rarely threatened the home goal – indeed their only real chance of any note was a drive by Sinn Christie that thudded into Taylor’s mid-rift. And it could have been even worse for the visitors if Stannard could have kept down a late angled drive down after he and Harrison Pont – who along with Allan at the heart of the home defence was outstanding – worked a great short corner routine.
SITTINGBOURNE – Charlie Taylor, Okoye, Fisher, Miller, Pont, Allan, Alex Flisher (Caney-Bryan) (Witt), Danny Taylor, Rowland, Bancroft (Sam Flisher), Stannard
Subs – Delport, Juniper
HAYWARDS HEATH TOWN – Collings, Morrison, Cadman, Napper, Cooper, Christie, Jalloh, Ndozid (Holden), McCreadie (Rowe), Dos Santos (Benson), Cravid
Subs – Popham, Graves
REFEREE – Mr Butcher