Isthmian League South East Division

Sittingbourne 5 Broadbridge Heath 0

Saturday 10^th August 2024

Report by: Mike Green

101 days after their Play Off heartbreak at the end of last season, Sittingbourne started the new season in style with a five-goal rout of the Bears from Broadbridge and to be fair it could have been more... 

Ryan Maxwells side dominated throughout after last season's top scorer Mitch May got the opening goal of the new season within nine minutes of kick off. Joe Boachie then hammered home the second just before half time and Boachie and Liam Smith netted within two minutes early after the break, the game was over as a contest. Troy Howards tumbling celebrations after netting the fifth just about summed up a terrific opening day for the Brickies and a five-goal romp in the Swale sunshine. 

There was a nervous level of anticipation about the Staxson Stadium after the Brickies terrific pre-season and that hope was intensified after a terrific opening start and half. 

The opening goal arrived on nine minutes when May poked home Smiths shot after a Richie Hammill corner fell to the defender on the edge of the box. The home side dominated possession during the first half and the visitors really did not get going at all, and the only real surprise was that the second goal did not arrive until just before the break. Again, Hammill was involved as his free kick was allowed to bounce through the box and it struck the far post, and Boachie was quickest to react and smashed home the second. 

After the break, the home side upped the tempo even further. Henry Sinai and Donvieve Jones combined really well and the ball fell to Boachie who netted an excellent second and his fifth in the last two games. 

Within a couple of minutes, it became four-nil as Smith seemed to glance home a Hammill corner – both players reeled away celebrating... 

Broadbridge were so disappointing as an attacking force that ironically when Chris Arthurs attempted clearance was well blocked by keeper Harley Earle, it proved to be the only effort that the visitors had on target all afternoon. 

The Sittingbourne afternoon was completed in the final ten minutes when two substitutes combined as Codey Cosgrave fed a delightful ball through to Troy Howard who beat the luckless Leo Anderson at his near post for the fifth and Howard wheeled away and did a front somersault to celebrate. 

A five goal start for a side that many fancy to do well this season... only forty-one games to go! 

SITTINGBOURNE – Earle, Jones (Lukombo), Graham, Hammill, Smith, Arthur, Sinai (Howard), Poku (Beckford), May (Georgiou), El-Mogharbel (Cosgrave), Boachie (Beckford) 

BROADBRIDGE HEATH – Anderson, Sim (Cranmer-Flynn), Chesworth, Penfold, Bromage, Terry, Dowdell, Buchanan (Pariter), Leslie (Hay), Evans (Croal), Dyson (Marino) 

REFEREE – Mr. Smith 

Goalscorers:
Sittingbourne – May, Boachie(2), Smith, Howard