Eastbourne Town were literally spot on as they halted Sittingbourne’s Play Off charge.
After weeks of playing on soft, slick, surfaces, this was a hard bumpy pitch and a gusty wind around the Saffrons made conditions tough and didn’t make free-flowing football particularly easy for either side with goal scoring chances at an absolute premium with the home side edging ahead with their first notable shot of the game.
Problem for Sittingbourne was that Ollie Davis’s drive beat Jamie Grosshart only to be magnificently turned a side by Ben Swift and as Swift is a central defender meaning that referee Wootten had no option but to show the red card.
Luck was certainly with striker Alfie Rogers as he squeezed the spot-kick underneath keeper Jamie Grosshart’s dive.
The Brickies couldn’t raise themselves to the levels of their last game when they beat leaders Three Bridges and couldn’t get going in a frustrating first period whilst at the other end Aaron Capon missed two glorious chances to double the lead with the second one being a really horrible miss which really summed up the half.
After the break, Eastbourne were awarded a second spot kick after Roger was brought down on the box and the Eastbourne striker’s luck was really in – Grosshart plunging to his right to make a superb save but the ball looped straight back to the taker who looped in the rebound.
Sittingbourne were rocking but the Eastbourne finishing showed why they are at the wrong end of the table – Rogers missed two glorious chances for his treble shooting high and then wide, before the game descended into near farce as Mr Wootten began dispensing cards – the first of them was a straight red to Eastbourne boss Jude MacDonald for remonstrating an assistant’s decision.
The next to see red was Capon for an ugly stamp on Gavin Hoyte and with that dismissal went any forward thinking the home side had as they sat further and further back, but the Brickies couldn’t find a way through with Jack Steventon’s thunderous shot in the turn the visitor’s only shot of note which was brilliantly tipped over by home keeper Chris Winterton.
On top of the three reds Mr Wootton found time to caution another nine players – including Brickies keeper Grosshart at two-nil down for “time-wasting” – yet apart from Capon’s lunge on Hoyte, there wasn’t a bad foul in the game.
The defeat still leaves Sittingbourne fourth in the league with Tuesday’s game in hand at Erith Town now becoming vital for the Brickies Play Off quest.
EASTBOURNE TOWN – Winterton, Leon Greig (Parker), Murphy, Harvey Greig (Holman), Walker, Hover, Davies, Emberton (Waters), Capon, Rogers (Walsh), Jenks.
Sub not used – Clark.
SITTINGBOURNE – Grosshart, Hoyte, Graham (Theobalds), Woodward (Crowhurst), Steventon, Swift, Sinai, Hamill, May, Smith (Derek Asamoah), Foxley (Morgan).
Sub not used – Zay Asamoah.
REFEREE – Mr. Wootten