Jordy Mongoy’s last gasp equaliser earned Sittingbourne what seemed for long spells to be an unlikely point against Cray Valley in a game of few chances. 

Ade Shokunbi was denied the opening goal by a magnificent save from home keeper Jamie Grosshart as the visitors enjoying good possession in the opening half where the battle between Dexter Peter and veteran Cray man Chris Dickson a true joy to behold. Dickson was on hand to head Valley in front on the stroke of the break – left unmarked at a free-kick. 

The second half followed a similar pattern with the home side unable to truly test the Cray goal and it seemed that the home side wouldn’t find a way through to keep their unbeaten start going. Indeed, Jack Leahy almost sealed the points for Valley crashing an effort off the bar in stoppage time. 

Just as the home fans had given up hope, the ball was played into the box one last time and Mongoy was on hand to score his first Sittingbourne goal and earn his side a point! 

Marc Anthony Okoye had the games first chance as he directed a corner wide of the home goal after the tightest of tight opening period yielded next to nothing in front of goal for either side. Indeed, the best that home side got was a flick from Jordan Greenidge – from Mongoy’s ball from the left – which went straight into the arms of keeper Prince Adegoke. 

Dickson then his first chance of the game which he couldn’t steer on goal, but it proved just a sighter as literally in stoppage time at the end of the half, the veteran striker who had a spell at Woodstock at the start of last season was left free to head home a free kick to give the visitors the lead that they probably just about deserved. 

The second period improved from the Brickies although the final ball and efforts on goal still weren’t very clear – Peter headed a Jean Baptiste Fischer corner straight at the keeper, but they still struggled to figure away through a well-disciplined Valley side. 

And they still had their own chances to finish the game off – Dayo Santanna found Jack Leahy who fired high and very wide over the goal before coming with inches of the winning goal as he thumped a drive off of the Sittingbourne bar. 

The home side had loud penalty shouts when Jordan Greenidge was bundled over which were waved away before Harvey Smith looped a header over the bar. 

Time was running out when the Brickies won a late corner, keeper Grosshart went charging forward and although he didn’t get to the kick, Mongoy did and he was able to scramble the ball over the live for his first Sittingbourne goal and gain his new side a point which moments before seemed very unlikely.  

SITTINGBOURNE – Grosshart, Fischer (Hoyte), Graham (Chang), Peter, Salmon (Reiss Greenidge), Williams (Smith), Theobalds, Jordan Greenidge, Foxley (Agbebi), Mongoy 

CRAY VALLEY PAPER MILLS – Adegoke, Turner (Ming), Sankoh, Anothny-Okoye, Gayle (Santanna) (Stewart), Agyemang, Shokunbi (Ekpiteta), Whitby, Dickson, Leahy (Deighton), Smith  

REFEREE – Mr Kelly