Chris Arthur’s second goal in Sittingbourne red and black sent Ryan Maxwell’s side into the FA Trophy’s first round draw on Monday as the Brickies love affair for the competition continued as Isthmian Premier League side Hashtag United were sent packing.
The defender who is approaching one hundred appearances for the Woodstock club had only previously found the net once for the Brickies – that was ironically in their run to the last eight of last season’s competition in the home win over Enfield and only courtesy of the “dubious” goals panel.
But on this occasion, there would be no doubt that the popular defender was the scoring hero on the score sheet as he majestically stroked the ball into the bottom corner of the visitors net from the first corner of the contest in the second minute.
In a game that was dominated by the strong winds – the leftovers of Storm Amy proved difficult for both sides – the Brickies always looked the livelier and Troy Howard went close for the home side as he clipped the bar in a game where clear chances were at a premium.
Derek Asamoah was inches away from converting a brilliant move started by keeper Mitch Beeney’s fine ball to Herny Sinai as the visitors really toiled. Indeed, their day was really summed up on the stroke of half time when Matt Wooldridge mishit a shot so badly that it bobbled wide of Beeney’s goal having completely wrong-footing keeper by the midfielder’s connection.
After the break, again the home side started on the front foot with Asamoah unlucky as he fired over and Arthur again going close as he flashed a header inches over the top from another Richie Hamill corner.
Yet again the visitors despite having a lot of the ball really failed to test the home back line with Gavin Hoyte’s battle with Evan Kouassi a joy to behold, and Arthur along with Jack Steventon and Yannis Ambroisine so solid at the heart of the home defence.
Hashtag huffed and puffed and flattered to deceive without really testing Beeney, but as always in football there was one real chance that the visitors had where Luke May-Parrott did well to wriggle through but Beeney made a superb low one handed save to deny what would have been a thoroughly underserved equaliser and Luke Woodward was on hand to smash the rebound to safety.
Nothing summed up the Sittingbourne performance more that when in stoppage time. Jaden Crowhurst won a free-kick and almost celebrated as though he’d scored the winner himself!
The Brickies are through then to the First Round proper and no-one will be wanting to face Maxwell’s side in Mondays draw.
SITTINGBOURNE – Beeney, Hoyte, Arthur, Hamill, Steventon, Ambroisine, Sinai (Parish), Theobalds, Asamoah (Brown), Woodward (Crowhurst), Howard
Subs – Robe, Balliu
HASHTAG UNITED – Giddens, Ring, Smith (Obebor), Cornhill (Djemaili), May-Parrott, Kouassi, Rusoke (Jermaine Anderson), Sach, Lovatt, Tom Anderson, Wooldridge
Subs – Christou, Wilson
REFEREE – Mr. Jolliffe
Images courtesy of Grace Joines