Faversham Town and Sittingbourne shared six goals in a thrilling Swale derby at the Aquatherm with the Lillywhite’s netting three in the last ten minutes to somehow grab a point they seemed to have squandered long before as both sides maintained their push for the play-offs.
The home side dominated the opening period but couldn’t find a way past an inspired Jamie Grosshart in the Brickies goal as the visitor’s inactivity in the last month (they hadn’t kicked a ball in Isthmian League action since January 17) showed as the Brickies were thankful to their inspired keeper who somehow managed to keep the scoreline blank!
After being on the back foot for most of the half, the visitors went in front when Jack Steventon’s prodded effort crept into the corner and when Bagasan Graham’s fine header put the visitors incredibly two clear at the break, things got worse for the home side just before the hour when Derek Asamoah scored from the spot after being hauled down himself.
Sub Matt Newman himself pulled one back moments after coming on with ten minutes left to set up a grandstand finish that intensified when Tashi-Jay Kwayie pulled one back and then climaxed Ethan Smith grabbed the home side a point in stoppage time that they probably deserved but looked so unlikely to get!
The first half began with the Brickies on the back foot clearly rusty after not playing for a month and the home side looked to press for an early advantage but found Grosshart in top form. Graham smashed a chance over the bar before Dexter Peter fired wide of the Sittingbourne goal. Ethan Smith saw a shot deflected over from a smart corner, before Grosshart was extended by Frankie Smith for the first time. The keeper excelled to keep out Ethan Smiths low skidding drive before another fine stop from Ethan Smith – the ball this time falling to Kwayie but he couldn’t hit the target. Ethan Smith was again denied – this time by a post – and how George Evans didn’t roll the rebound into the empty net, only he will know!
After Faversham had missed so many chances, was it perhaps inevitable that the visitors would score first? In this case it was as Steventon prodded a ball home after the home defence didn’t clear – the ball almost apologetically creeping through the grasp pf keeper Mitch Beeney, and whilst the home side were licking their wounds, the Brickies struck again. Gavin Hoyte going well down the right to hit a deep centre for Graham to meet superbly with a late run and power home a header beyond the keeper and into the net. Even the Brickies were left head scratching after being on the back foot for so much of the first half and yet they were two goals to the good at the interval.
Stunned at half time, Faversham were shocked still further and when Ben Gorham needlessly pulled back Derek Asamoah in the box, the 44-year-old striker dusted himself down and sent keeper Mitch Beeney the wrong from the spot. Quite how the Brickies had a three-goal lead at the hour after being second best for so long, is still difficult to reason but three-nil is three-nil.
Faversham were shell shocked and struggled to make meaningful chances with Campbell’s corner, which needed touching behind by Grosshart, the home sides only real clear chance. Newman’s introduction fifteen minutes from time reignited their belief however, especially when Newman himself smashed home with ten minutes left. Kwayie then pulled a second goal back almost instantly with a trademark predators finish to set up a grandstand finale that reached a remarkable climax when Ethan Smith finally got the better of Grosshart to draw the game level at 3-3 deep into stoppage time.
Both sides would have probably settled for a point before kick-off, but something says that wouldn’t have been the case at the final whistle, but the point does mean that Sittingbourne are still to taste defeat with Reece Prestidge in charge as that’s now thirty points from a possible thirty-six!
FAVERSHAM TOWN – Beeney, Ossai (Parter), Frankie Smith (Simms), Pont, Peter, Gorham, Wood (Newman), Ethan Smith, Evans (Ajayi), Kwayie, Campbell
Subs – Russell
SITTINGBOURNE – Grosshart, Hoyte, Graham, Woodward, Steventon, Swift (Crowhurst), Foxley, Theobalds, Asamoah (Smith), Boachie (Fischer), Anthony (Sinai)
Subs – Hamill
REFEREE – Mr. Dunn