After what seemed like an eternity since the faithful descended on Woodstock Park, Darren Blackburn’s new look Brickies served up a treat for the home fans that certainly matched the mood of football returning to a sense of normality on a glorious Sittingbourne afternoon.

A stunning first half hat-trick from Ahmed Abdulla and a late thunderbolt from Michael Akin sealed a stunning four-star romp against newly promoted Lancing who returned to Sussex shell shocked.

There were heroes all over the pitch in red and black – Abdulla will take the plaudits for a brilliant first half hat trick, but so many new faces took the eye that it would be unfair to mention…

Abdulla’s treble came in twenty-one first half minutes – the first two from terrific Akin pull back. On fifteen minutes the little number seven sprinted away down the right and as Kane Rowland made a wonderful run to the front post, leaving the room for Abdulla to arrive late and Blakey’s shed had a new hero to salute as he crashed the ball beyond keeper Mitch Bromage. It was two fifteen minutes later in an almost a carbon copy, but if it’s possible this strike was even sweeter for the Brickie man as it fizzed past a beleaguered Bromage. And it was three before the break as this time a deep ball in from the left wasn’t dealt with by the Lancing defence and that man Abdulla was on hand again to set of wild scenes of celebration.

To be honest, Lancing really weren’t at the races and Joe Docherty’s first game in the Brickies goal will certainly be one of his quieter ninety minutes of the season but for his counterpart especially after the break, the score line would have been even more convincing as the keeper really performed heroics to keep the score at three-nil.

Three times in the second periods opening exchanges, Bromage stood between his side and a real mauling. Rowland was left holding his head twice when he really shouldn’t have given the Lancing stopper much of a chance, but he saved the best for a terrific block to deny sub Johan Caney-Bryan on two separate occasions – first standing up brilliantly as the striker advanced on goal and the brilliantly took the ball off of Caney-Bryan’s foot as he tried to round the keeper.

Akin finally capped off a wonderful opening day for Darren Blackburn’s side with a stunning drive into the top corner late on as the Brickies broke out from a corner.

A tough opening day for the new boys and whilst you don’t win anything in mid-August, but the signs are most definitely very encouraging for the weeks ahead as the manager looks to strengthen still further.

SITTINGBOURNE – J Docherty, Nza, Fisher, Monger (Treadwell), Rogers, Pont, Akin, Abdulla, Rowland (Caney-Byran), Ajala, Loynes (Bancroft)

Subs – Crimmen, Flisher

LANCING – Bromage, Zabadne (Campbell-Francis), Parker (Read), Goldsmith, H Docherty, Hendy, Connolly, Daniels-Yeoman, Daniel, Evans (Goldson), Lubrango

Subs – Louis, Garner

REFEREE – Mr Rudd