Second half goals from Jack Steventon and Richie Hamill earned Sittingbourne a fourth successive win under Reece Prestedge. 

But Deal would have returned to the Kent coast wondering how they didn’t take advantage of a first period where they had a couple of golden opportunities with Wes Hennessey magnificently denied by keeper Taylor Seymour. 

But when Steventon pounced to hammer home when a Hamill free kick was spilled early in the second period, there was only going to be one winner. The visitors goal led a charmed life with the ball flying across the face but Hamill’s strike seven minutes from time – from a super lay off from Derek Asamoah – sealed the points. 

After a very close and tight opening, Deal swiftly broke from a Sittingbourne corner and Hennessey looked to round Seymour, but the Brickies keeper not once but twice was able to keep the striker out as he tried to go round the Sittingbourne stopper. 

Jack Paxman drilled a shot straight at Seymour from a corner as the visitors created the better chances and they had loud cries for a penalty after Ben Chapman went down but referee Clark wasn’t interested. 

The home side’s best chance of the half came just before the break as Henry Sinai found Jean-Baptiste Fisher who forced his way into the box, but he couldn’t force the ball home.

It ran square but Harvey Smith couldn’t force the ball over the line either. The Brickies upped the tempo at the start of the second period and Hamill forced James Tomkins into a great early save after great work from Luke Woodward.

But Tomkins will have been disappointed with Hamill’s next effort as the keeper couldn’t hold onto a skidding free-kick and Steventon crashed home. Deal’s response was straight away and quite how Chapman didn’t reach a superb, dinked ball into the Sittingbourne box only he will know.

Jack Penny then blazed a chance over Seymour’s bar as chances began to come at both ends as a Hamill corner so very nearly curled in at the back post as both keeper Tomkins and Steventon missed the flight of the ball. 

The decisive second goal in the game fell to the Brickies as a throw was brilliantly held up by Derek Asamoah, and the striker touch was sublime for the path of Hamill who hammered the ball beyond a despairing Tomkins into the bottom corner. 

Sinai went close for a third but the Brickies fourth win in a row was secure and with a midweek home game with Hassocks ahead, Prestedge’s charges find themselves a single point outside the play-off places.

 SITTINGBOURNE – Seymour, Crowhurst, Fisher, Woodward, Steventon, Hoyte, Sinai (Foxley), Hamill, Smith, Theobalds, Boachie (Asamoah) Subs – Graham, Kelly 

DEAL TOWN – Tomkins, Hammond, Penny, Foster (Fielding), Stroutts, Murray, Chapman, Niblett (Kennedy), Paxman (Smith), Green (Jeffreys), Hennessey Sub – Vincent 

REFEREE – Mr. Clark  

Images courtesy of Paul Golding