Darren Blackburn will have returned from the Sussex coast on Bank Holiday Saturday scratching his head as to just how his Sittingbourne side hadn’t brought at least a point from their trip to Whitehawk.

After seeing his side slide acrimoniously out of the FA Cup on Wednesday at Littlehampton, the travelling Sittingbourne supporters must have feared the worse, but those dressed in yellow, and blue were treated to a much better performance from their heroes but were left so frustrated in front of goal.

Even the harshest of judges must have admitted that this improved display deserved at the least a point but also must have really felt for skipper Kane Rowland who on another day would have surely walked off with the match-ball. But Rowland, who has just returned from a bout of COVID, sadly left his scoring touch in Kent otherwise, Sittingbourne would have surely returned with a point if not all three…

Early on Taylor Fisher enjoyed some space down the Sittingbourne left and from one of his deliveries Johan Caney-Brown couldn’t direct his shot on target. The Brickies number nine was central to a golden opportunity Sittingbourne had to take the lead. A long ball into the box saw Caney-Brown do really well to get it down in the direction of Ahmed Abdulla, but before the midfielder could hammer the ball home, he was unceremoniously flattened. Skipper Rowland stepped up for the spot kick but blazed over as keeper Nathan Stroomberg dived to the right. 

With Whitehawk on the back foot, the visitors pressed, and Rowland was unlucky again in the Brickies very next attack. He was brilliantly played through and as he raced onto Caney-Browns touch could only prod the ball wide of Stroomberg and Whitehawk’s right post.

At the other end, Harrison Pont and Pritchard Adjei provided some of the stability for Sittingbourne that had sadly been missed in the midweek Cup exit whilst the “returning” Harry Brooks in goal look safe and assured on the few occasions Whitehawk threatened in the opening 45 minutes.

Half time came at the wrong time for Blackburn’s side and just after the break, with possibly their first real foray forward, the home side scored as Ronnie Conlon – who looked well offside – coolly slotted the ball past the advancing Brooks as the defence waited for a flag that didn’t come.

Moments later it could have been even worse for the Brickies after what appeared a horrendous decision. Pont challenged sub-Henry Muggeridge and as the forward went down, referee Harris pointed to the spot for the second time even though his assistant was less than ten yards from the challenge and remained unmoved. Justice though was seemingly done as Javaun Splatt sent his spot kick higher and wider than Rowland had done in the first half!

Home sub-Demas Ramsis then had Brooks scrambling with a shot that fizzed just past the Brickies left post, before at the other end, Toby Bancroft found Abdulla, but the former Whitehawk man couldn’t keep his shot down.

With a little over ten minutes to go, Splatt did beat Brooks, but his spectacular shot came back off the Brickies cross bar! And as the Brickies pressed trying to find an equaliser, gaps were naturally left and from one of them Omarr Lawson forced Brooks into a fine low save.

With the last action of the game, the visitors could and perhaps should have levelled. Taylor Fisher did brilliantly to head a deep ball back across the goal but sadly Rowland, arriving late at the back post, couldn’t keep his header down and the ball disappeared into the travelling supporters.

WHITEHAWK – Stroomberg, Emberson, Redwood, Mensah, Blackmore, El-Abd, Munt (Muggeridge), Lawson, Splatt, Fraser (Freeman), Conlon (Ramsis)

Subs – Unwin, Edwards

SITTINGBOURNE – Brooks, Rivelino-Nza, Fisher, Taylor (Rogers), Adjei, Pont, Aziamale (Bancroft), Abdulla, Caney-Bryan (Ajala), Rowland, Monger

Subs – Crimmen, Loynes

REFEREE – Mr Harris 

Pictures supplied by Ken Medwyn.