Hythe191019_Complete

Match Reports by Tony Rickson
Saturday, 21st September 2019
BetVictor Isthmian League South East Division
Sittingbourne (0) 0 Guernsey (0) 1 (Skillen 90)
Attendance: 139
Oh no, not again. That’s three times in the last
four games that Sittingbourne have conceded
crucial late goals.
It cost them a win against East Grinstead, a hardearned
point at Ashford on Tuesday night when
the home team won it in the 92nd minute, and
now a draw against Guernsey in a match they
should have won easily.
All this means that since last March, Sittingbourne
have won just once in 15 league games.
It’s a long time since home fans saw the team get
three points, but despite the hard dry pitch, despite
the sun beating down, despite Guernsey enjoying
a good start to their season, despite this
being a very young Sittingbourne side, this was
the day to do it.
Sittingbourne had chances galore, but good as
their approach work was at times, their finishing
just never matched it. And when they got anxious
about it in the second half, they took the wrong
option too many times, players shooting when a
pass was on to a better-placed colleague.
It’s easy to criticise from the sidelines, and of
course all the players were doing their best, but
when you’ve got four breaking against two defenders,
the best way to get through is to pass
rather than hold onto the ball too long and dribble
into trouble.
Guernsey, who only just escaped relegation at
the end of last season, came into the match on an
excellent run of just one defeat in six games
played. And that’s despite long days and plenty of
airport-waiting, playing all of them here on the
mainland as their home ground is having work
done on it.
Sittingbourne were without the injured Lewis
Chambers, joining a long list of players out injured
or unavailable, and left out Emmanuel N’Daw and
Kane Phillip from the team that lost at Ashford. In
came Festus Lori, Liam Middleton and Josh Oliver,
who showed a lot of potential and dazzling
footwork in his full league debut.
Guernsey have very definite patterns of play,
passing the ball round at the back before launching
long balls forward, but their three-man back
line always looked as if it could be caught out by
quick attacks.
Sittingbourne made a promisingly effective start,
and after 12 minutes, Johan Caney-Bryan
thrashed a shot against the inside of the post
from Lex Allan’s headed pass.
Caney-Bryan, who worked hard throughout and
held the ball up well, got clear down the middle
but shot wide and Oliver also missed the target
from a good position.
Into the second half and Caney-Bryan couldn’t
quite stretch enough to get in an accurate header
from Tom Fagg’s cross as Sittingbourne again
took control of the game.
Chances followed, in fact they flowed, but the
Guernsey keeper rushed out to make good saves
from Caney-Bryan and sub Kane Phillip, Fagg
had two shots that were saved comfortably, and
Oliver couldn’t get on target with opportunities he
created for himself.
Guernsey seemed content to style it out, breaking
only very occasionally, though when they did Tom
Benham was forced to make a couple of good
saves.
It looked as if Sittingbourne were going to miss
out on three points that seemed to have been
there for the taking, but the game had a bitter
twist in its tail.
Guernsey always come to play football but they
were rather too quick to go down towards the
end, and I thought the free-kick that led to their
90th minute goal was a poor decision.
But it was right out wide near the halfway line and
should have been defended. The ball got into the
six-yard area, though, and was scuffed back for
sub Skillen to shoot into the far corner and send
the away team off celebrating.
Harsh on Sittingbourne but it’s a tough old game,
football, and the team who dominates doesn’t always
win matches. They now have a fortnight’s
break from league action to put this defeat behind
them and bounce back for the rest of the season
–there’s a long way to go yet.
Sittingbourne: Tom Benham, Ben Fitchett (Lewis
West, 72 min), Jason Fregene, Tom Fagg, Lex
Allan, Cory Walters-Wright, Liam Middleton, Chris
Barnard (Yellow card), Johan Caney-Bryan
(Emmanuel N’Daw, 66 min), Joshua Oliver, Festus
Lori (Kane Phillip, 52 min). Sub not used: Declan
Pearse.
Guernsey: Callum Stanton, Frank Tobin, Jamie
Dodd (Yellow card), Thomas Dodds (Charlton
Gauvain, 32 min), Thomas Strawbridge, Harry
Tobin, Liam Mahon (Sebastian Skillen, 71 min),
Kieran Mahon, Will Fazakerley, Ross Allen, Carlos
Canha (Alex Scott, 67 min). Subs not used:
Thomas De La Mere, Keanu Marsh.
Referee: Mr Ian Fissenden; Assistants: Mr Howard
Collins, Mr Billy Woods.