Sittingbourne kept up the pressure at the top of the South East division with a resounding and comprehensive 3-0 derby win over Margate under the Woodstock lights.
From the moment that Troy Howards raced away to drill the home side ahead inside the opening ten minutes, there was only ever going to be one winner, and when Donvieve Jones managed to get on the end of Joe Boachies centre when a corner was only half cleared just before the break, the points were realistically safe.
The home faithful had to wait until the final minute of the game for the cherry on top of the Brickies performance when sub-Henry Sinai thumped home a glorious third to keep Sittingbourne hot on the heels of leaders Ramsgate.
After being frustrated by Beckenham Town at the weekend, Ryan Maxwell was keen for his side to get off to a fast start and his charges duly rose to the task as Richie Hamill played a brilliant through ball to Howard on nine minutes and the speedy winger raced clear and hammered the ball past the advancing Tom Wray.
Wray was next relieved when an attempted cleared was half blocked by Mitch May and as the ball dropped to Hamill, the Sittingbourne midfielder’s first-time effort crashed into the side netting.
The visitors enjoyed some possession but couldn’t get past Liam Smith and Charis Arthur who again were outstanding at the heart of the home defence and it was one of their defensive colleagues who doubled Sittingbourne’s advantage just before the break. Hamill’s corner wasn’t completely cleared and as the ball fell to Boachie, he drove the ball across the face of goal where Jones arrived at the far post to bundle the ball home.
Margate then had their best spell just before the break and they thought that they’d pulled a goal back when Lewis Knight’s thumping header smacked to safety off the home crossbar and away to safety.
After the break, May was agonisingly close to a third as Ryan Kingsford won the ball as visiting defenders were caught with the ball. Kingsford then inadvertently diverted a Boachie drive away from goal as just couldn’t get out of the way in time.
Wray preformed heroics to deny and keep out Boachie’s fierce drive after Howard did really well to find sub-Ade Azeez, and when the on-loan striker had his shot blocked, Boachie’s pile driver was magnificently saved by the Margate stopper.
Wray though had no such good fortune as the clock ticked over into stoppage time as Sinai did really well on the edge of the box and his first time shot left Wray grasping at thin air as the Brickies got back on track and the points were won.
SITTINGBOURNE – Rees, Jones, Graham, Hamill, Smith (Lukombo), Arthur, Howard (Beckford), El-Mogharbel, May (Azeez), Kingsford (Cosgrave), Boachie (Sinai)
MARGATE – Wray, Hatfull, Walsh, Hudson, Rutherford (Peters), Olutadu, Allen (Atkins), Greenhaugh, Knight, Davey, Garande
Subs – Brand, Hobbs, Sterling
REFEREE – Mr. Smith