Two more goals from the ageless Derek Asamoah helped Sittingbourne to record a comfortable three-nil win at the Stanmore Stadium, Thamesmead that could be heard at both ends of the table.
For whilst the three points takes the Brickies three points inside the Play Off places, for hosts Erith Town, the defeat – alongside Hassocks win at Broadbridge Heath – leaves the Dockers anxiously glancing over their shoulders at the wrong end of the table.
In truth though as soon as Asamoah capitalised on defensive mistakes when a cross wasn’t dealt with just before the half hour, there was only going to be one winner in this contest as the Brickies returned to winning ways after weekend disappointment at Eastbourne Town.
Asamoah drove home the second on the hour after a brilliant through ball and when Ben Swift to some degree atoned for his red card at Eastbourne by bundling in the third, the game was over and the points won.
Erith started on the front foot and James Dyer was too high with an early effort as Sittingbourne looked to redeem the weekend defeat. They gradually grew into the game and Asamoah was unlucky as a great ball from the industrious Jaden Crowhurst just wouldn’t sit right for the shot.
Not that the visitors should have worried as on twenty-eight minutes, a great ball in from Antonio Morgan really wasn’t dealt with by home keeper or defenders alike and Asamoah was able to bundle home his nineth goal of the season.
The home side had a sight of the Sittingbourne goal just before the break, but Callum McGeehan fired into the car park as the home side couldn’t get the grip in the game that their League position decreed.
Asamoah it was to destroy what little hope Erith had just prior to the hour. Jack Steventon cracked a long pass towards Mitch May but because the big striker knew he was offside, he didn’t react and as the ball went forward Asamoah advanced and blasted the ball past Harrison Firth in the home goal for his tenth of the season.
Asamoah missed a chance of a hat-trick when he shot wide before the points and the win were sealed as a right wing corner wasn’t claimed or cleared by the defence and Swift’s deftest of touches sent the ball over the line as the central defender found the net for the second time in Brickies colours.
Sittingbourne went looking for more – Darren Foxley had an attempt blocked when perhaps skipper Luke Woodward should have looked for an unmarked Asamoah before Asamoah was denied by a super late block after Foxley had been found by the pass of the night from Gavin Hoyte.
Erith would have been disappointed not to have put more pressure on the visitor’s goal with full back Malachy Turner going closest late on with a shot that went wide as he was claiming for a penalty.
The game was stopped for a few minutes in stoppage time as it appeared that something was said to Hoyte from the crowd whilst the full back waited to take a throw. Full marks to referee Clark and to Erith Town for acting so swiftly.
The business end of the season it most definitely is and the next seven or eight games hold so much for both these two sides.
ERITH TOWN – Firth, Turner, Dythe (Okechukwu), Wenham, Hobbs, Dyer, Valler (Bakunda-Natga), Omara-Knapp (Taylor),Olusesi, McGeehan (Jayaguru), Dawson (Atkins).
SITTINGBOURNE – Grosshart, Hoyte, Morgan, Woodward (Hamill), Steventon, Swift, Sinai (Foxley), Theobalds, May (Smith), Derek Asamoah (Ngidjol), Crowhurst (Zayshaun Asamoah).
REFEREE – Mr. Clark