Sittingbourne kept up their hopes of a progressing to the next stages of the Velocity Trophy with a hard fought victory over Cray Valley PM on Tuesday night.

Sittingbourne made one change from the side that lost narrowly to Tooting & Mitcham in the FA Trophy, whilst Cray Valley PM made nine changes from the team that defeated Three Bridges in their last league match.

Sittingbourne had the advantage through most of the match with the Cray Valley goals coming from two penalties.

There were good performances from Sittingbourne throughout the team but Josh Oliver and Enoch Adjei in particular stood out with their excellent work on the left hand side, whilst Sid Sollis scored a brace and was close to a hat trick.

Sittingbourne raced into the lead after just 5 minutes with a great goal from Oliver who ran from his own half before slotting the ball in the net and after this the Brickies looked quite comfortable throughout the match. Sittingbourne doubled their lead on 28 minutes when Sid Solis, who was in acres of space, headed firmly into the net.

Cray pulled a goal back on the half hour with a somewhat fortuitous goal as the ball bounced up in the Brickies area and hit Ben Fitchett on the hand.

Referee Ms Louise Saunders, as the new rules stand, rightly awarded a penalty that last season would not have been given as it was definitely a case of ball to hand and not the other way round. Ryan Flack gave Jordan Perrin in the Brickies goal no chance with a well struck shot.

Sid Sollis had a great chance to extend the lead on 43 minutes after the Brickies won a free kick on the edge of the area, the ball was floated to the far post but Sollis’s header went straight to the Cray Valley keeper. At the other end Ryan Flack’s shot was easily held by Jordan Perrin.

The second half again saw Sittingbourne still on top. Oliver was making some good runs and he had a couple of shots flash just past a post, but it was Sollis who increased the Brickies lead when on 56 minutes an excellent cross from Enoch Adjei was firmly nodded into the goal by the Brickies striker. A minute later Oliver was clean through but Cray Valley keeper Max Ovenden came out to smother the shot.

Cray Valley won another penalty with just 9 minutes to go, this time Emiliano Hysi converting, and they would have forced a draw a couple of minutes later , but a great goal line clearance by Jason Fregene saved the day.

This victory means that if VCD Athletic defeat Sevenoaks Town at Sevenoaks next Tuesday in the final Velocity group 9 game then Sittingbourne will have won the group and will go into the next knock out round where they will play Lewes away.

Sittingbourne: Jordan Perrin, Jack Smith, Jason Fregene, Chris Webber ©, Lex Allan, Ben Fitchett, Kane Phillip(Declan Pearce 89 min) , Tom Fagg, Sid Sollis (yellow) (Liam Middleton 87 min), Joshua Oliver (yellow) (Harrison Pont 77 min (Yellow), Enoh Adjei,

Cray Valley PM: Max Ovenden, Liam Hickey, Christopher Allen (Max Leeves 79 min), Josh James © (lewis Cotter 60 min), Paul Semakula, George Orchard, Rtan Flack (Archie Mehmet 67 mins), Kweku Ansah, Emiliano Hysi, Francis Babalola, Abdul Sankoh (Joshua Jones 79 min)).