A first half penalty from James Queree denied Sittingbourne their tenth win in eleven games under boss Reece Prestedge by the Jersey Bulls as the two sides shared the points in a 1-1 draw.  

The hosts were deservedly ahead through Darren Foxley’s strike but after Brickies keeper Jamie Grosshart mis controlled a back pass and brought down Lorne Bickley, perhaps against the run of play, Queree levelled the scores.   

It was tough on the Brickies as it had been a first half that the home side bossed, but they were repeatedly denied or run into a stout white wall across the Staxson Stadium pitch. 

Luke Woodward fired narrowly wide early on, whilst keeper Euan van der Vliet did well to beat out a shot through a crowd before the Brickies finally took the lead when Foxley hammered home after an effort from Joe Boachie had been blocked following a fine ball from Bagasan Graham. 

Boachie then flashed a header just wide from a Henry Sinai corner as the Brickies dominated but in the closing stages of the half momentum began to swing towards the visitors as firstly Bickley sliced horribly wide before Miguel Carvalho clipped a post after a fine run.  

Then seven minutes before half-time, Grosshart’s control from a back pass and the unfortunate keeper conceded the spot kick from which Jersey levelled despite guessing the right way.  

After the break, the home side continued to press but as they did, they left room at the back and allowed Jersey to break, and, arguably, have the best chances with Grosshart making a magnificent save – diving full length to tip over the bar from Carvalho’s shot after the visitors broke from a corner and then another fine stop to deny Rai Dos Santos.   

The home side slowly pushed the Bulls further and further back as Jersey seemed to settle for the point and in the closing quarter, there seemed as there would be only one side to win the game as the Brickies piled forward only to be repeatedly repelled by the Bulls back line or at time a questionable assistant’s sometimes very late flag.  

Boachie fired over; substitute Harvey Smith’s header from a Richie Hamill centre didn’t miss by much; a Hamill corner caused chaos in the Jersey box late in as they had all eleven defenders in their own box late, Smith’s late touch to a ball in form the left was well held by Van Der Vliet – despite their best efforts Sittingbourne just couldn’t force what would have been a deserved winner. 

Honours even then but the Brickies are now eleven unbeaten under Prestedge and have taken twenty-nine points from their last thirty-three to still sit six points inside the Southeast division’s Play Off places. 

SITTINGBOURNE – Grosshart, Crowhurst, Graham, Woodward (Hamill), Steventon, Hoyte, Sinai (Anthony), Theobalds, Asamoah (Smith), Boachie, Foxley 

Subs – Swift, Fischer 

JERSEY BULLS – Van Der Vliet, Le Quesne, Queree, Kilshaw (Carr), Carvalho (Dos Santos), Trotter (Ritezma), Giles, Watling, Watson, Bickley, Sunley (Lekimamati) 

Sub – Roche 

REFEREE – Mr. Charles 

Pictures supplied by Paul Golding.