POINTS DROPPED AT SITTINGBOURNE

POINTS DROPPED AT SITTINGBOURNE

SITTINGBOURNE 3 VCD ATHLETIC 2

For the second game in succession the Vickers have given away points with poor defending which currently seems to be a constant problem for the team. We seem to be in a habit of letting in goals both early in the game and early in the second period which has proved costly in a number of matches. If possession won matches then VCD would have romped home in a canter, but all this counts for nothing if chances are spurned and goals are given away cheaply. There were points to be earned here but the Vickers gave Sittingbourne the perfect start when going behind in only the 2nd minute when a foul by Derek Duncan gave the hosts a free kick to the right of the area, from which Chris Elliott swung the ball in and the VCD backline stood still, allowing two Sittingbourne players an opportunity to score, and the chance was gratefully converted by Bola Dawodu who planted a free header past the exposed Joe Mant. The Vickers responded immediately with Siao Blackwood sending a header narrowly wide, before levelling the scores in the 7th minute. The ball was played wide to the advancing George Lutaaya who sent in a first time cross where Kemo Darboe got across his man to sidefoot powerfully home. Sittingbourne had another chance when Ollie Brown’s free kick dropped loose in the box but David Smith shanked the ball way over the bar. Then it was VCD’s turn with Duncan sending in a corner that Junior Baker met with a fierce header that was neatly touched over the bar by keeper Darren Hawkes. VCD then began to cause the home side problems with their passing and pace and began to pin them back as they looked to add a second goal, and they created a great chance when the ball was worked square by Siao Blackwood, but when he played in Derek Duncan he dragged his shot wide when well placed. The hosts had one final chance before the break when Kane Philip got past Ricardo Joseph before crossing first time to Kane Rowland, but George Lutaaya made a spectacular block to deny a certain goal.
As the second period began the Vickers were comfortably in the game and had a chance in the opening minutes when Rashid Kamara played in Derek Duncan whose first time ball in was met with a free header by Omar Lawson, but he screwed the ball horribly wide from in front of the goal. To rub salt into the wound, from Hawkes’ goal kick the ball reached Kane Philip wide on the right and from his cross Derek Duncan stretched for the ball, only to send a looping header over Joe Mant to put Sittingbourne in front. They had another chance when Chris Elliott found Miles Cornwell in space, but he dinked the ball past Joe Mant and luckily for VCD past the far post. To their credit VCD kept on the attack and ten minutes later claimed the equaliser when Kemo Darboe scored his 7th goal of the season. A long ball forward was chased by Darboe who outmuscled young defender Lex Allen, to score comfortably past Hawkes. There looked to be only one winner now as VCD kept up the pressure with Sittingbourne forced to defend deeply and a neat four man passing move saw the ball eventually worked to Kojo Awotwi, but he was unable to keep his effort on target with the shot going over. Then George Lutaaya picked out Kemo Darboe with a ball over the top where he out-battled two defenders, but Hawkes was quickly out to block his shot with the ball falling kindly for the keeper to deny him a deserved hat-trick. With ten minutes remaining our defensive problems came to the fore again when a corner from Chris Elliott was swung into the box, where John Coker rose unchallenged in the six yard box to send a header past Mant. The Vickers had a great chance to level in the closing minutes when a ball forward was headed across the area where Emmanuel Osei and Omar Lawson ran clear together in space, but with Lawson having the better chance, Osei snatched at the ball and sent it wide of a post with the goal gaping.

VCD Athletic: Mant, Lutaaya, Lawson, Baker, Imudia, Joseph, Blackwood, D Duncan, Darboe,
Kamara (Osei 82), El-Moyhalbel (Awotwi 46)

Subs not used: Carvell, Gordon, Gorbell

Attendance: 147
Report by Brian Norris