Another five-star home performance from Sittingbourne saw Ryan Maxwell’s side keep in touch with the Isthmian South East leaders as Steve King’s Deal Town were left shaking their heads trying to work out what had happened to them in the Woodstock gloom. 

After an even opening where the visitors stayed in contention with their hosts, two quick goals from Codey Cosgrave and Henry Sinai gave Sittingbourne a lead that they never looked like losing and when Jack Steventon prodded home number three fifteen minutes from time.

The game was well and truly over, and in fairness late strikes from Brickies substitutes Joe Boachie and Ryan Kingsford gave the final scoreline a very flattering scoreline in Sittingbourne’s favour. 

King would have been more than happy with his sides start as they more than matched the Brickies early on although the home side thought that they had taken the lead after Sinai and Cosgrave combined for the latter to steer the ball past James Tonkin only for the assistant’s flag to deny the home side. They were not to be denied for long though as Cosgrave jinked through magnificently to stroke the ball into the net. 

Just before the break, the lead was doubled and probably highlighted to the Deal boss just what his side have to stop to be successful. A hopeful ball went forward and as Tonkin left his line, his defence got into a real muddle and as the ball dropped Sinai hammered home his sixth goal of the season. 

The second period had developed into a holding pattern with the home side content to control possession without finding a way through. Kingsford gave the Brickies a bit more going forward after his introduction for Cosgrave just past the hour, and it was he who combined with Mitch May to centre and with Donvieve Jones set to make it three nil, a brilliant Josh Vincent block denied the home side. 

They eventually netted number three twenty minutes from time – and it was a horror show for Tonkin as he slipped a Richie Hamill corner and Steventon tapped home the gift. 

Just as the visitors thought their afternoon could not get any worse as the clock ticked towards ninety minutes, it did – twice! With two minutes left, Boachie powered home a near post header from Hamill’s right wing cross, and then three minutes into stoppage time Kingsford made it five with a brilliant strike.

Tony Martin and Hamill combined really well down the right and as Kingsford was found, a super touch gave him room and time to hammer the ball home and complete a baffling idea for Deal whilst leaving Sittingbourne in a great position as they head to a historical meeting with Winchester City in the Isuzu FA Trophy next weekend. 

SITTINGBOURNE – Earle, Jones, Lukombo, El-Mogharbel (Graham), Steventon, Arthur, Howard (Bossey-Saldanha), Hamill, May (Martin), Cosgrave (Kingsford), Sinai (Boachie) 

DEAL TOWN – Tonkin, Paxman, Penny, Foster, Tom Chapman (Page), Murray (Hatcher), Ben Champman, Green, Oni (Hennessey), Kennedy, Vincent 

Subs – Hammond, Hollier 

REFEREE – Mr. David 

Images courtesy of Paul Golding