A last gasp Kane Rowland tap in maintained Sittingbourne’s unbeaten home League start to the season as Whitstable Town left Woodstock Park wondering what might have been.

With the score locked at 2-2, Rowland ghosted in unmarked to side foot home after debutant Marvin Hamilton and sub–Yao Christophe Aziamale’s combined brilliantly down the right, and it was the substitute’s low centre that found the Brickies skipper to condemn new Oystermen boss Keith McMahon to his first defeat in the role after back-to-back one nil triumphs.

In a tight contest which could have easily gone either way, Luke Griffiths had the first chance for the visitors but was well denied by keeper Joe Docherty’s left boot, before the Brickies number one had a moment to forget as he was completely deceived by Danny Walder’s free kick wide on the left and he allowed the ball to bounce through his grasp and into the net.

Where Docherty has been Sittingbourne’s saviour this season on several occasions, this was time for his team mates to bail out their keeper – and how they delivered, as they netted twice in the half’s closing stages to grab the half time advantage. Whitstable keeper Dan Eason couldn’t hold onto Harrison Pont’s fierce drive and Johan Caney-Bryan was first to react to slide home his sixth of the season. Number seven arrived moments later and came with help from Sittingbourne’s number seven – Michael Akin. The wide man raced to the line and his expert centre was brilliantly steered wide of a despairing Eason by the arriving Caney-Bryan.

The second half was just as tight although the home side could and perhaps should have extended their lead in the opening stages. Emmanuel Dasho was inches away from his first Brickies goal as he glanced a corner inches wide before Caney-Bryan was denied his treble as Eason tipped over his header from sub-James Hawkins terrific cross. Hawkins then sent the resulting corner looping onto the roof of the Whitstable goal before the visitors looked like they salvaged a point with a second Walder free kick. If the first had been fortunate, the second was magnificent and gave Docherty no chance as he curled the ball away from the keeper and into the bottom corner of the Sittingbourne net.

Both sides then had the chances to go ahead in the final stages – Caney-Bryan skied a Rowland centre high over the bar whilst Walder was then denied his treble by a smart Docherty save following a lightening Whitstable break.

Deep in stoppage time, Rowland was to have the last laugh and the joy and relief of the winning goal was clear for all to see as the Brickies skipper leapt into the crowd to celebrate – rightly earning a yellow card from referee Doyle, who showed that he did remember his cards after all as they were missing from several “crunching” challenges earlier in the game.

For Whitstable and McMahon, the shoots of recovery are clearly present and are surely promising for the coming weeks where the Oystermen will look to climb the table whilst for Darren Blackburn and the Brickies, they now head to face the division’s top two as leaders Haywards Heath lie in wait in Halloween weekend after second placed Cray Valley PM provide the next Woodstock test on Saturday.

SITTINGBOURNRE – Docherty, Okoye, Fisher, Monger, Pont, Dasho, Akin (Hawkins), Hamilton, Caney-Bryan (Aziamale), Abdullah (Crimmen), Rowland

Subs – Loynes, Flisher

WHITSTABLE TOWN – Eason, McKenzie, Brown, Walder, Thomas, Mills, Barnes, Griffiths (Cotton), Stannard (Gray), Carlton, Cham

Subs – Deslandes, McIlroy, Duley

REFEREE – Mr Doyle