Sittingbourne v Ramsgate Match day programme 28th December 2015

Match Reports
By Tony Rickson
Saturday 12th December 2015
Ryman League Div 1 South
Sittingbourne 2 Chatham Town 1, att 120
Not another 2-1 – but this time, and at last, it
was in Sittingbourne’s favour as they finally
ended their 13-game losing streak.
They deserved it for a passionate spell in the
second half which brought them both goals –
and a much-enjoyed win over their Kent neighbours.
But they made hard work of it in the first half,
and even after going ahead, so it was somewhat
of a patchy performance..
At last, though, they’ve moved off the 18-point
mark they’ve been stuck on since mid-
September, and are now just four points below
Chatham with a couple of games in hand.
Sittingbourne made three changes from the
team that lost to Herne Bay in midweek with
Adam Molloy returning in goal, new signing
Kerry Kedze making his debut and Miles Cornwell
recalled.
Up front for Chatham was Fred Obasa, who
started the season at Sittingbourne and was
obviously keen to make his mark against his
old teammates, putting in a lively performance.
He had a couple of half-chances while at the
other end, Jordan Wells too often seemed isolated
as he tried to hold the ball up on his own.
Chatham were having the better of the game
and after Molloy had saved from Gundry, the
visitors took the lead on the half hour when a
cross from the left just evaded Conrad Lee,
and Edwards, behind him, had time
to pick his spot in the far corner.
Sittingbourne moved Cornwell further forward
in response and he went close from their best
chance of the game 10 minutes later, keeper
Bradshaw just keeping out his effort.
Sittingbourne needed to up their game for the
second half and that’s what they did with Ollie
Bankole putting a good chance wastefully over
and Cornwell eased off the ball when he got
half a yard start on a through ball.
But it was Cornwell who got the equaliser on
the hour when he timed his run beautifully to
get behind the defence on Ita’s through ball
and score first time into the top corner.
For the next 15 minutes Sittingbourne really
turned the screws and Bradshaw did excellently
to keep Chatham in it, saving from Cornwell
again, Ita and sub Stefan Wright.
But he was powerless to stop Sittingbourne’s
winner after 73 minutes. Chatham defenders
managed to block a couple of close range
shots after Ita’s free-kick into the box, but sub
Richardson, who’d already added a
lot to his side’s composure since coming on,
calmly picked his spot to stab home the loose
ball.
No wonder Sittingbourne looked rusty at trying
to manage the game after that because they
just haven’t had a chance to do that lately.
But they held out, with Molloy prominent in the
defiance, and the game ended with manager
Nick Davis no doubt delighted to hear his
name chanted by the home fans. After all,
they’d just seen 10 home defeats on the trot in
league and cup, so their loyalty has been legendary.
So ends a crazy first half of the season in
which Sittingbourne surpassed themselves
early on with a winning streak that took them
up to fifth, and have then fallen backwards with
a barren spell that just seemed never ending at
times. Well, it’s over now.
Sittingbourne: Molloy, Brunt, Lee, French,
Crimmen, Bankole, Kedze (Richardson 63
mins), Wisson (Wright 63 mins), Wells
(Hughes 79 mins), Cornwell, Ita.
Sponsors of the Woodstock stadium—www.dma-group.co.uk