walton&H060216

Match Reports
Tuesday 26th January 2016
Alan Turvey Trophy sponsored by Robert
Dyas
Quarter Final
Sittingbourne 2 Corinthian-Casuals 1
Att 70
players and this is certainly the best Casuals
side that I have seen for many a season so it
was an ominous start. But Sittingbourne steadied
the ship and Molloy was rarely troubled..but
nor was Danny Bracken in the Casuals goal in
that half.
This game had been postponed twice before
but it was well worth waiting for!
Sittingbourne were without cup tied players
Stephen Ita, Jordan Wells, Kerry Kedze and
new signings Josh Algar and Scott Wibley,
whilst Miles Cornwell was serving the second of
his 3 match ban..a ban that must seem never
ending for the player with the Brickies having
had so many games lost due to the weather.
Billy French was injured, and captain Tom
Brunt was unavailable. A total of 4 of our under
21's side featured in this match.
These changes meant that Dan Hughes started
a match for only the second time, and he took
his opportunity brilliantly scoring the two Sittingbourne
goals. Also in came Callum Naessens
making his 2nd start and Adam Williams
returned from his loan spell. New signing Andy
Irvine, who was so instrumental a few years
ago in Tunbridge Wells vase run, Connor Wilkins,
and 16 year old Jake Embury from the under
21’s were on the bench. Jono Richardson
was starting for the 100th time for Sittingbourne.
The weather was atrocious with a strong swirling
wind and driving but light rain which
strangely didn’t seem to soak too much. The
Brickies supporters in the 70 crowd though didn’t
worry too much, especially in the second
half when the Brickies came back from a half
time goal deficit.
Casuals started brightly, possible encouraged
by the fact that they had already done the double
over the Brickies in the league. The wind
seemed to be favouring Casuals in the first half
and perhaps they should have made more of
an advantage of it. It was no real surprise when
in the 33rd minute Stef Joseph mad a good run
on the right, cut inside and sent a low shot past
Adam Molloy in the Brickies goal to put Casuals
a goal to the good. Casuals have some tricky
Casuals had the first good effort of the new half
on 56 minutes forcing Molloy to tip a dangerous
effort over the bar, the wind though was now in
Sittingbourne’s favour and unlike in a few
matches where they had spurned
that advantage they were using it well.
Casuals needed a second, but it was a different
Sittingbourne in this half and on 66 minutes
substitute Irvine was fouled. Hicham
Akhazzan’s free kick was turned over for a corner
and from the corner the ball was
cleared..but only as far as Hughes who crashed
his first time shot into the net for the equaliser.
The jubilation of the Sittingbourne supporters
was almost cut short immediately when almost
straight from the restart the visitors had a
golden opportunity to retake the lead but the
shot went wide. That was a wake up call and
after that the Brickies never looked back.
Akhazzan had a shot well saved on 73 minutes
and 4 minutes later Josh Wisson ended a
strong run on the right with a cross into the box
where Hughes was on hand to rise majestically
and powerfully head home goal number 2.
Akhazzan was a real danger to Casuals and
with ten minutes to go he appeared to be bundled
down in the area but calls for a penalty
went unheeded.
Sittingbourne were now comfortably on top and
they easily held out for the 4 minutes added
time to celebrate a famous victory and now go
on to an all Swale semi final tie away to Faversham
Town.
Sittingbourne: Molloy, Naessens (Irvine 61
mins), Lee, Steventon, Crimmen, Richardson,
Wright, Wisson, Williams (Embury 81 mins),
Hughes, Akhazzan
Peter Pitts