Honours even in “El Swale-ico” as Jacob Lambert’s eighty-eighth minute strike gave Sheppey United their first point in five games and denied Sittingbourne all three points in the Brickies quest for the play-offs.

Just as it seemed a lacklustre second period was going to end with the home side collecting all three points in the gathering Staxson Stadium gloom, Lambert struck guiding the ball past Jamie Grosshart in the Sittingbourne goal to send those who crossed the Kings Ferry Bridge home happy.

For Reece Prestedge and the home faithful however, this was certainly two points dropped against neighbours who haven’t won since mid-December and despite the point, are still anxiously looking over their shoulders towards the South East relegation zone. Meanwhile, the dropped points for the Brickies mean that the play-off places are becoming increasingly tight with Deal Town and Jersey Bulls now definitely in the direct mix for post season with ten games to go.

Indeed, it was the visitors who enjoyed the best chances early on – quite how Kieron Agbebi didn’t hit the target after great work from Dsean Spencer on he will know and Jack Steventon’s timely block denied Eitel Moumi-Goueth as the Sheppey man thought he’d scored.

The visitors took the lead on twenty-four minutes when Spencer was allowed far too much room after being played in by Moumi-Goueth as he picked his spot in the corner beyond Grossart’s dive.

The home response was immediate and instant as three minutes later from a recycled corner, Richie Hamill’s flighted ball into the box was headed home by Henry Sinai for his nineth goal of the season. And three minutes after that the home side led on the half hour – another ball into the Sheppey box wasn’t cleared and the industrious Luke Woodward slammed the ball home.

Sheppey missed the chance to go in level as after Moumi-Goueth and Agbebi broke into the box down the right, Agbebi was denied the scoring chance by a magnificent recovering tackle from Gavin Hoyte and the chance was gone.

And it was the last chance the visitors were to have until three minutes from the end as Sittingbourne had all the chances after the break. The impressive Darren Foxley would have been disappointed not to have hit the target after good wing play from Sinai; Foxley was then delightfully played through by Harvey Smith only to be denied by keeper Will Heater, who then denied Foxley again, this time with a big right boot as the Sittingbourne man fired in another drive before the keeper made a great save plunging away to his left to keep out Sinai’s drive.

Three minutes from time, Lambert tested Grosshart with the first Sheppey shot on target of the half, before just sixty seconds later sending the travelling fans home happy as he crashed home the equaliser.

The point means the Sheppey are now eight points above the drop zone with ten games to play, whilst Sittingbourne’s position at the other end of the table becomes more and more interesting as the chase for post season places intensifies at the business end of the season with now just six points separating third place AFC Whyteleafe to the Jersey Bulls in seventh, with Faversham, the Brickies and Deal Town the teams in between with ten games to go!

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

Subs – Boachie, Fischer

SHEPPEY UNITED – Heater, Olorunnisomo, Johnson, Allan (Leonard), Hatton, Moumi-Goueth, Lambert, Procopi, Agbebi, Elito, Spencer

Subs – Marsh, Cotton, Barnes, Ademiluyi

REFEREE – Mr. Joss

Images courtesy of Paul Golding