Crockenhill 2 Sittingbourne 5

Match 01/15/1206 - Saturday, 4th July 2015 - Pre-Season Friendly

Crockenhill (1) 2 Jeffery 29, Gaggin 50
Sittingbourne (3) 5 Bell 5, 20 Dickens 44 Obasa 68, 88
Attendance: 72

Entrance: £3
Programme: Old issue: 50p
Mileage: 62/62

Match Report

On Wednesday, we endured, rather than enjoyed, the heat of Wimbledon’s Number One court on a record-breaking day in terms of temperature, come Saturday and despite the mercury showing a good 10degC lower at 28degC, it was still a day for tennis rather than football.

But pre-season is upon us and it is time to get used to standing up for 90 minutes, focusing the eyes and concentrating the mind and it was a case that any game, anywhere would do. As it was, Crockenhill was a useful destination, one that I hadn’t visited for the best part of 25 years and less than an hour’s drive away.

Sittingbourne were the visitors to Wested Meadow and opted to bring a team largely of triallists whilst the “contracted” players remained at Woodstock for morning training. The one player that I would have known had any team sheet been supplied was that of Ollie Bankole, once considered a good prospect down at Longmead.

Twenty-five years ago, with Tonbridge the visitors for a Kent League game, Wested Meadow was a little ramshackle and weather-worn. Time hasn’t been kind to the home of club that has slipped down a step into the Kent Invicta League. The main stand is much the same as I remembered it and a little “bus stop” wooden enclosure behind the goal is reached by scrambling through long grass and debris. The playing surface looked long and scorched, in need of a mow and a lot of water.

The result appears one-sided but Crockenhill gave it a decent effort against a side whose make-up probably didn’t reflect their Ryman League status. A trio of forwards for Sittingbourne, Abraham-Richard Tagoe, Bryan Bell and Fred Obasa were quick and skilful and the Crocks back line were worked hard to keep the scoring down to a reasonable number.

But, as newly-installed Crockenhill manager, Liam Kelly, told his troops during his half-time team talk conducted down by the nearside corner flag, a couple of moments of defensive fraility was the difference between the sides, albeit that Sittingbourne could, and should, have been a couple further clear had they taken their chances.

Five minutes had elapsed in the first period when a long throw into the box was converted by a glancing header from Bell who had easily won an aerial duel with the Crocks’ goalkeeper who had advanced into an area where he was not likely to win the ball.

Sittingbourne doubled their lead after 20 minutes when a through ball from Obasa sliced open the Crocks’ defence leaving Bell to round the goalkeeper and slide the ball into the open goal.

At this point Sittingbourne might have gone on to run up a cricket score on a day made for that game but credit to the hosts as they rallied and pulled a goal back after 29 minutes when a strike from Aaron McCallum came back off the far post to the feet of Dan Jeffery who touched home from close range.

Sittingbourne regained their two goal advantage on the stroke of half-time with another goal that will give Liam Kelly nightmares for the coming season. A corner was simply met at the near post with a free header from Charlie Dickens past a substitute goalkeeper.

The hosts were given an early lifeline in the second half when a clearance from Sittingbourne’s substitute goalkeeper was charged down by Alex Gaggin who watched the rebound trickle into the net. But with twenty minutes remaining Obasa raced clear of a couple of defenders to plant a good finish into the far corner to put Sittingbourne 4-2 in front.

I took my leave of Wested Meadow a couple of minutes before the end and this was sufficient time to miss Obasa curling another strike into the corner for the Brickies’ fifth of the afternoon.

2015-16 is underway and not a moment too soon despite Andy Murray’s Wimbledon progress and the Ashes yet to get underway.