Sittingbourne extended their lead at the top of Isthmian South East with a four-nil hammering of Sheppey United in a one-sided Swale derby as the Brickies made it twelve home league wins out of twelve. 

After losing skipper Bagasan Graham in the opening ten minutes through injury, defender Jack Steventon headed the home side in front in what was a scrappy opening half, Sittingbourne took the game to their opponents after the break as Joe Boachie doubled the lead past the hour, Liam Smith’s header controversially made it three nil before Mitch May rolled home his twenty-first goal of the season from the spot after coming on as a second half substitute. 

Sheppey who hadn’t been beaten in this Swale derby since their return started this latest edition short of many players through injury and in the opening exchanges clearly designed their game plan to stop the Brickies playing and for long periods in the opening half it worked as the home side were restricted to long range efforts.  

The home side took the lead just past the half hour with Steventon lurking at the back post to cushion header Henry Sinai’s flick past Aidan Prall and into Sheppey’s net. 

The visitors upped their tempo in the lead up to the break with their best moments coming when Gil Carvalho, Jacob Lambert and then Carvalho again had shots blocked on the edge of the box and didn’t test Harley Earle. 

After the break, the Brickies edged away from their visitors in front of the biggest crowd ever to watch a League game at Woodstock Park, and the majority were delighted when Boachie hammered home his nineth goal of the season with a low drive that flew past Prall. 

There’s always some level of controversy in local derbies and this one’s moment arrived on 82 minutes when Smith’s downward header from Richie Hamill’s free kick, squirmed out of Prall’s grasp and over the line. The visitors complained the ball had been kicked out of Prall’s hands, but after consulting with an assistant, referee Woodman ruled the ball was already over the line. 

At this point the hard-working Ryan Kingsford who worked tirelessly throughout yet again was replaced by Brickies top-scorer May, and within a couple of minutes, James Bessey was felled in the box, and May grabbed the ball and rolled the penalty home for the cherry on top of the cake as the Brickies made it twelve wins out of twelve at Woodstock. 

SITTINGBOURNE – Earle, Smith, Graham (Cosgrave), Hamill, Steventon, Arthur, Howard (Beckford), El Mogharbel, Boachie, Kingsford (May), Sinai (Bessey) 

Sub – Jones 

SHEPPEY UNITED – Prall, Hogben, Taylor, Goueth, Bradshaw, Lambert, Carvalho, Wyborn, Diallo. Aiye (Majoyegbe), Olorunnisomo (Johnson) 

Subs – Graham, Barnes, Catherick 

REFEREE – Mr. Woodman 

Images courtesy of Paul Hollands