Whyteleafe laid down a potential play-off marker with a 4-1 win at the Staxson Stadium as Sittingbourne couldn’t find a way through a superb green wall and slumped to a first home League defeat under boss Reece Prestedge.
With ‘Leafe skipper Correy Holder leading an outstanding defensive display by the visitors, the home side never recovered from a two-goal early game blast from Palace Francis – the first as he flipped the ball past an exposed keeper, and the second just four minutes later – and inside the opening eleven minutes – with a fine shot into the bottom corner.
The home side were restricted to Darren Foxley’s prodded effort which bobbled wide and Harvey Smith as he looked to repeat his goal against the same opposition for Whitstable Town in last season’s FA Vase Final as he looped a header onto the roof of the net before the Brickies spectacularly got themselves back in the game – Mitch May letting fly from thirty-five yards beyond a despairing Slav Huk.
They pushed forward and were on top finally; Henry Sinai couldn’t bring the ball down as a long Bagasan Graham ball fell to him in the box and Luke Woodward’s shot through the crowd bobbled fractionally wide as the clear chance just wouldn’t come.
The second period saw Whyteleafe set their stall not to concede as they relied on being quick on the counter. Dan Bennett and Ryan Gondoh both went close as the home efforts faltered time and again on a visitor’s defence who literally had shut up shop! Sinai again having the best effort, but an awkward bouncing ball just wouldn’t fall from him.
As the home side pushed trying to and level, they were caught twice – by Gondoh and Moses Emmanuel – as the visitors took the win even if flattered by the result! Gondoh’s goal seemed to go straight in from a corner whilst Emmanuel’s strike came after he took advantage of a defensive slip before rolling the ball home.
It truly was a very rare frustrating afternoon for the home fans as the visitors celebrated at the final whistle – indeed the game’s final action when May’s instinctive prod wide of the goal when the ball could have gone anywhere, typical on an afternoon where very little went right for Sittingbourne.
SITTINGBOURNE – Porter, Hoyte, Graham, Woodward (Fischer), Steventon, Swift, Sinai (Morgan), Theobalds, May, Smith (Asamoah), Foxley (Crowhurst)
Sub – Hamill
AFC WHYTELEAFE – Huk, Orome, Goode, Holder, Bennett (Saunders-Henry), Johnson (Samuels), Francis (Hassan), Mensah (Emmanuel) Mascoll (Hechachena), Braham-Barrett, Gondoh
REFEREE – Mr. Dunn
Images courtesy of Paul Golding