After the 0-2 win against Camberly it is back to the League for a game against
Sittingbourne is just one place ( 9th) below us in the table with also 8 points out of 4 games.
They scored 12 and conceded 8 goals. Top scorere is Cornwell with 5 goals and Sittingbourne is the team which scored the most goals in the League so far.
Last year results: Away we won 1-3 ( Cole 2x ( picture Scott White and Harris 1x ) and at The Pilot Field we won 2-0 ( Ray and Harris )
And we? Seems that is wasn't the best game of us against Camberly and we will face a team also with no loss in the League so far.
So a bit of a test so early in the season ?! Think so and hopefully the team will soon get back the injured players. A loss now is that Jay May is back to Maidstone after scoring 6 goals in 4 games and that Jack Harris is still unavailable.
So hopefully a lot of supporters will come to the Pilot Field to support the team.
Lots of pressure especially the 2nd half but lacked a cutting edge despite the very high calibre strike force we employed, you could argue they didn't get great service and we also have to acknowledge that Sittingbournes keeper was excellent today ( spoke to Jono Richardson after the game and he said they signed him on loan as their other excellent keeper Simon Overland ( Ex Faversham ) was injured.
Not the highest intensity at times and could have got to the 2nd ball quicker on a few occasions. Defence looks patchy ( due to injurys of course ) and still waiting for Wayne Wilson to really introduce himself to us through either a dominant performance or one of the freekicks that JohnW has often mentioned! :)
Still feel we should have won that but a good game and not a really unfair result.
Personally I thought that was the best of our three home performances and we can count ourselves a little unlucky not to win quite comfortably. To put this into perspective, Sittingbourne were the best team yet to visit the PF this season, always dangerous on the break and capable of putting up an unpenatrable barrier around their area.
OK it was frustrating not to get that break to allow us make a telling opening but our midfield possession and some of the approach work was as impressive as we have seen for many years. I also thought the defence coped pretty well with the visitors break away attacks with Richard and Ollie doing an excellent job for us.
Have to agree that I am not too impressed with Wayne Wilson yet. Thought his lack of pace was exposed a few times today and as for their gifted goal........!
Anyone throw any light on the disallowed goal ? From my perfect position on the halfway line it didn't look offside to me.
Also agree with both Mick's and Darren's assessment. After a very slow start and an equally poor goal to give away, I thought last 20mins of the first half was as good as I've seen for a long time. Second half was pretty much one way traffic with Sittingbourne always looking dangerous on the break and equally heroic in defence, but we just couldn't make the breakthrough. Had we done that, Sittingbourne would have then had to come at us, which would have opened up the game, and I think we would have gone on to win comfortably.
Simon Johnson was absolutely outstanding again along with Ollie Rowe, but a pretty decent performance from all in the end. On Sittingbourne, how good was the lad at left back both offensively and defensively (was it Conrad Lee?). How good would he look in the claret and blue shirt?
My first competitive game of the season, and it sounds like I was luck to miss the first half hour. Impressed with Johnston and bodkin. May and Collin did not live up to the hype. Thought we did enough to deserve the win, might well be a couple of points that we regret dropping as the season goes on.
Agree with John's comments about the Sittingbourne number 3. He had a first rate game and he looked good when he played against us last year. That said, Reece Butler did get a few crosses in against him and Reece deserves credit for that.
One tactical comment: are we ever going to put someone on the far post at corners and free kicks? Had we done so last night I'm sure we we would have had a another goal.
( picture Scott White and Harris 1x ) and at The Pilot Field we won 2-0 ( Ray and Harris )
is back to Maidstone after scoring 6 goals in 4 games and that Jack Harris is still unavailable.
