Sittingbourne’s mini road trip of three away games in eight days ended in the worst way possible as the strangely subdued Brickies slipped to defeat which was as frustrating as it was disappointing given the analysis of the events with hindsight as Three Bridges just about deservedly edged the points, but…

Following wins at Haywards Heath and Cray Valley PM in the previous week, Nick Davis’s side went to Sussex looking for the points but left incredibly fed up with the afternoon’s events.

The afternoon started poorly for the visitors as referee Langley-Fineing – who sadly didn’t have the best afternoon of his officiation career – deemed that Jerry Peumo had “fouled” Noel Leighton awarding a spot kick from which Brannon O’Neill gave Matt Cafer no chance in the Sittingbourne net. There was certainly a coming together of the two players, but the way Leighton threw himself to the ground trying to get on the end of a long throw convinced the official that a penalty was the right decision.

The visitors were rocked and struggled to get into the game. Donvieve Jones, who has scored a few recently, was the saviour with an amazing goal line clearance as Kieron Pamment’s cross whizzed across and then the same player looked set to test Cafer only to be denied by Peumo’s terrific tackle. That though led to Leighton talking himself into the referee’s notebook as the teams left the field of play at the break.

And shortly afterwards, Leighton should have received a second yellow a few minutes into the half as the Three Bridges forward blazed the ball into the car park a full five seconds after the referee’s whistle had ended play.

That “oversight” by the official was to cost the Brickies dear – and how – ten minutes into the half as Leighton got a fortunate ricochet before curling an absolute cracker over Cafer and into the Brickies net. A terrific piece of skill from a player who let himself down badly just before the hour with a horrendous lunge on Jones leaving the official with absolutely no choice but to dismiss the striker – who incredibly disputed the decision!

Half an hour against ten men, but sadly the Brickies just couldn’t get back into the game. Try and they might, the home side were just a bit too “clever” for the visitors as they defended for their lives limiting Sittingbourne to very few clear chances. Sub Mario Quiassaca couldn’t direct a header on goal as he arrived at the far post was possibly the clearest and there were also loud cries for a Brickies penalty when Jones connected with a Bagasan Graham cross only for his header to “hit” a defender – some thoughts hands, referee Langley-Fineing thought differently.

Quiassaca did eventually find a way through as he powered home a late header, but not even eight minutes of stoppage time – mainly for some of the most blatant home time wasting as there was only a single substitution in the second half – could salvage a point for the Brickies.

The four-game road-trip ends then with Cup progress and six points out of nine and whilst nine would have been amazing, for a new side to get two wins out of three at three of the toughest venues on the schedule just shows how far they’ve come after just nine League games…

THREE BRIDGES – Anderson, Ferreria, Tennet, Wilson, Tad Bromage, O’Neill, Pamment, Leighton, Rivera, Lawson, Irving

Subs – Mitch Bromage, Tehe, Stone, Donaghey, Difika

SITTINGBOURNE – Cafer, Jones, Dythe, Gorham, Puemo, Osman, Taylor (Quiassaca), Graham, Dasofunjo (Sartorius), Deakin, Warren

Subs – McKenzie, Pont, Sikirwayi

REFEREE – Mr Langley- Fineing