Forty-four-year-old Derek Asamoah rolled back the years with two second half strikes as Sittingbourne came from behind to win at AFC Whyteleafe. 

Asamoah had the game’s best two chances early on, whilst Moses Emmanuel went close for the home side. Emmanuel’s persistence then gave Whyteleafe the lead on the half hour as he prodded home on the half hour. The Whyteleafe man forced his way through and after Jamie Grosshart did really well to deny the strikers first effort, Emmanuel pounced on the rebound to break the deadlock. 

Dan Bennett then was inches away from doubling the lead with a great effort that crashed off the visitor’s cross bar with Eniola Hassan blazing the rebound over the bar. 

The first half and possibly the game then turned when Darren Foxley was brought down in the box by Aziz Sankoh only to the amazement of many in the crowd to be cautioned for simulation despite howls of Sittingbourne protests that continued into half time. 

After the break the visitors flew out of the traps almost with a point to prove and Asamoah levelled the scores as he skipped round keeper Slav Huk to roll home. Asamoah then put the Brickies in front as he crashed home after Jean Baptiste-Fischer had been brilliantly denied by the Leafe keeper and both Ben Swift and Joe Boachie had been denied in the resulting scramble to complete the comeback on the hour. 

In a hugely entertaining contest back came the home side – Bennett was denied by a last gasp block from Jack Steventon after he tried to round keeper Grosshart who in the next attack pulled off a magnificent stop to deny Emmanuel and Gavin Hoyte was on hand to clear. 

Steventon then flicked a head over from a Foxley free kick whilst Grosshart the produced a sensational save to keep out Bennett’s header before recovering to deny Ryan Gondoh. Quite how Bennett in Whyteleafe’s next attack “only” headed straight at Grosshart with the goal at his mercy is unknown and when sub Hani Hechachewa flashed a header across the visitor’s goal, home hopes of a point had gone. 

The win continues the Brickies remarkable run of form under Reece Prestedge and since their elimination from the FA Trophy, as the Brickies have now won nine of the ten games, they have played taking twenty-eight points from a possible thirty! 

AFC WHYTELEAFE – Huk, Sankoh (Hechachena), Grant (Orome), Goode, Holder, Bennett, Johnson, Emmanuel (Ilic), Hassan, Braham-Barrett, Gondoh 

Subs – Mascoll, Duhaney-Burton 

SITTINGBOURNE – Grosshart, Hoyte, Graham, Woodward (Hamill), Steventon, Swift, Foxley, Theobalds, Asamoah (Smith) Fischer (Sinai), Boachie 

Sub – Crowhurst 

REFEREE – Mr, Langley-Fineing 

Images courtesy of Paul Golding