Hill break the Brickies hearts

Woodstock Park- AKA The Staxson Stadium- was abuzz. The sold out signs for our Pitching In Isthmian South East Promotion Final went up on Thursday, and a capacity crowd had taken up every vantage point. Unlike other garden sheds around the country, Blakey’s Garden Shed- Sittingbourne’s famous and rather noisy covered terrace- had no room for a lawnmower or a barely used barbecue, because it was packed to bursting with expectant Brickies. 

They had every reason to be expectant. 

Sittingbourne racked up one hundred and one points- which would have secured them the title in four of the eight Step Four Divisions. They also spent most of the summer, autumn and winter slaying giants in Cup competitions- Dover Athletic, twice, as well as Bognor Regis Town, Winchester City, Enfield Town, Salisbury and the biggest scalp of the lot, Southend United- and winning our Performance of the Month award so often that sponsors Shepherd Neame perhaps should have pitched a tent in the car park and never left. 

Even more than that- as if that wasn’t enough- the Brickies didn’t lose a single league match on their own patch, the only side at Step Four to achieve that feat; indeed only Barnet, Eastbourne Borough and AFC Totton achieved that from Steps One to three, and only Burnley and Birmingham City managed it in the professional game, with Burnley still having a home match remaining. 

All that, and still they came second- although perhaps that’s why they came second. Ramsgate had fewer matches and fewer distractions. Sometimes success is a double edged sword.

Third place Burgess Hill Town were certainly the underdogs as they arrived in Kent. And yet, they had delivered a superb season. Their ninety points would actually have won them the title in three of the other Step Four Divisions. It was the highest points margin in their Isthmian history with the exception of their almost-invincible 2014-15 title winning side. It had seen them play some incredible football, 

The Hillians perhaps had fewer recognisable names than their hosts, fewer players with National League experience, no thirty goal striker- but all season long they had demonstrated flair, resilience and incredible teamwork. This was a side greater than the sum of their parts; a side filled with self belief and unafraid of big reputations. The statistics all suggested that the Brickies would triumph- but then most of the statistics suggested that last season, too, when the hosts lost in the Semi—Final to another Sussex side, Chichester City; so the travelling faithful were confident in their side and confident of delivering an upset. They were outnumbered, but they were determined not to be outsung. 

The sides had met at The Staxson Stadium as recently as Good Friday, when a one-one draw was the outcome. The match between the sides at Leylands Park in October went the way of the Brickies, and indeed Hill hadn’t managed to defeat these opponents in five attempts; but that didn’t matter, all that was just history. All that mattered was the next ninety- or perhaps one hundred and twenty- minutes. 

The sides emerged four minutes before kick off, and the noise went up by several decibels. The Brickies were in their traditional red and black stripes, whilst Hill were wearing canary yellow- and it was the visitors who got us underway. 

The opening exchanges were, as you might expect, rather cagey, and the ball seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time up in the air. The fans behind each goal were in great voice; indeed it was a surprise that the Brickies faithful didn’t have sore throats, as they’d started singing an hour before kick off. Hill keeper Slav Huk had the most work to do, but none of it was particularly taxing.

On ten minutes we had the first shot of the match, from the visitors, but it was so far over the bar it was only a danger to the cars parked in the officials car park. And then the hosts got the ball on the floor and began to press, good work from Mitchell May and Ryan Kingford setting up Ade Azeez for a header which had to be cleared just in front of the line by Nathan Cooper. On eighteen minutes another effort from Azeez was cleared off the line by Logan Dobbs, and Hill were living dangerously as the hosts began to move through the gears, but they soon seemed to have weathered that storm and had some possession of their own.

Just before the half hour we had a significant stoppage, Chris Whelpdale injured for the visitors. After treatment he limped back on, but the chance of him running it off seemed slim as he couldn’t seem to run at all. A long clearance from Ben Pope saw the Hill number nine try to chase, manage two yards, and pull up. But he played on, in clear discomfort.

Three minutes later and the Brickies were ahead. A long pass, controlled expertly by May, and the striker scored his thirty first goal of the season, swivelling to put it past Huk at his near post. 
 

Goal: Sittingbourne 1 Burgess Hill Town 0, Mitchell May, 33 minutes

More home pressure followed, and Azeez saw yet another effort scrambled clear,  and then at the other end Bobby Price forced a first save from Roco Rees. That was the cue for Hill to have a sustained spell of possession, but they were unable to do a great deal with it until we reached added time, when an effort from Jay Beckford flashed across the goal. Rees then mishandled a long free kick and was lucky that his defenders were closer to him than an opposition striker.

Half time: Sittingbourne 1 Burgess Hill Town 0

Hill were first out for the restart, and there was a look of determination about them. They started the second half well, with urgency, and Whelpdale seemed to have recovered from his first half knock. Both sets of fans were in fine voice, Hill accompanied for some reason by a Brickies fan in a sombrero who was ringing a bell at the wrong end of the ground from his compatriots.

Beckford was looking particularly dangerous for Hill, and earned a free kick to the right of the box when a speedy run was ended illegally. It was cleared, but not far, and a moment later the visitors had another, this one central twenty yards out. It was crossed to the back post, headed goalwards, and Rees made a fine save, only for the offside flag to be raised. The visitors were well on top, but of course still behind.

Another run from Beckford, who was giving the left back a torrid time, and a corner, taken short. A cross beyond the back post, a shot, blocked. And it seemed that Whelpdale hadn’t recovered after all, as he was replaced by Alex Brewer as we reached the hour mark.

Hill continued to dominate, and on sixty six minutes had another chance, which Pope headed over. To be fair to the visiting number ten it was more of a half chance, which rather typified their attempts so far. It wasn’t that they weren’t clinical, more that they’d been given little chance to be clinical despite their endeavours. 

And then… they were level! A shot from Kieran Rowe looked to be arrowing in, only for Rees to make a great save, but he could only push it to substitute Stefan Vukoje, who made no mistake. He’d been on the field all of two minutes.
 

Goal: Sittingbourne 1 Burgess Hill Town 1, Stefan Vukoje, 72 minutes 

The hosts finally remembered to attack, and then Hill charged forward again. Caution had been thrown to the wind, and the match was all the more entertaining as a result. Both sides seemed determined to find a winner. And then, a cross from Hamish Morrison found Brewer, the goal gaped, and…the ball trickled wide. The visiting fans were stunned into silence momentarily, disbelieving. The home fans shared their sentiments. 

Another chance for the visitors arrived with five minutes remaining, but Martyn Box was slipping as he made contact, and the ball went wide of the post. It looked like we were heading to extra time. 

And then we were promised nine extra minutes. With it came more Hill pressure, yellow wave after yellow wave, but it didn’t look as if they’d manage to make it count despite their dominance. The whistle blew, and we’d get thirty minutes more.
 

Full time: Sittingbourne 1 Burgess Hill Town 1- extra time to follow

Hill got us underway once more. They’d dominated the second half, but could they keep up that pace? Or indeed, would they try? The match slowed a little, unsurprisingly, and in the early stages was played mainly in midfield, but neither side appeared to have settled for penalties. Vukoje tested Rees once more for Hill, and almost immediately at the other end Liam Smith shot wide, and then we had only fifteen more minutes to go.

From the restart, the Brickies charged forward, but Smith’s shot was too weak to beat Huk. At the other end the other number five, Cooper, got his head to a corner but without the power to beat Rees. 

On one hundred and thirteen minutes a Sittingbourne free kick, launched long and high, skimmed the head of Jack Steventon and bounced just wide. At the other end a Brannon O’Neill free kick was too close to Rees. 

Into the last ninety seconds and another chance for the visitors, Vukoje firing over. One last chance. A Sittingbourne break, and Steventon shot, just wide. And that was that. Penalties next.

Full Time after extra time: Sittingbourne 1 Burgess Hill Town 1

It never seems fair when all the work of a season stands and falls on a collection of exhausted players taking penalty kicks. But that’s where we were, like it or not. 

The kicks were to be taken at the end housing the home faithful, who were, well, rather pleased! 

Burgess Hill were up first. Alex Brewer, goal! 1-0.

Smith for the Brickies. Top corner, although Huk got a touch. 1-1.

2-1.

2-2.

Vukoje for Hill. Hit the underside of the bar and bounced out. Still 2-2.

Azeez for the Brickies. Saved by Huk! Still 2-2.

Rowe- fabulous penalty, keeper the wrong way, 3-2.

Howard- hit the bar! Advantage Hill! 3-2.

Up stepped Box. Could he? Into the car park. Sittingbourne still had to score. Donvieve Jones. Hit the bar, and Hill had won! 

Burgess Hill Town win 3-2 on penalties. 

The celebrations will undoubtedly go on deep into the night. For the Brickies, the pain will be raw for a while, and then they’ll try to make it third time lucky next season.

Over the campaign, Sittingbourne have delivered magnificence. Promotion certainly would have been earned. But on the night, Hill deserved their triumph.