Report
Forest were once again a part of a scintillating match which they dominated throughout: they only let their guard drop in the last ten minutes when three substitutes were given a run out.
Sittingbourne looked the more likely to score in the first five minutes with two excellent chances to one fro Stag’s Daren Duporte. Sittingbourne then began to push up and this played into the home side’s hands. The young side had done their homework and began to spring Sittingbourne’s off side trap at will whilst they (Sittingbourne) were unable to find their men properly with their long ball.
Stags went ahead on 30 minutes when Alan Cox refused to give up on a through ball which looked to be going out by the corner flag. Cox sped in along the goal line and cut the ball back for Marc Ward to steam in and score from close range.
Forest still pushed forward and played some excellent football. The real crunch time for Sittingbourne came in the opening period in the second half. First on 51 minutes, some excellent work on the right by Fola Orilonishe and Leon McKenzie allowed Orilonishe to to send over a near post cross, past defence and keeper for Duporte to head home.
By the 58th minute the Stags were three goals up when Mckenzie sent a ball to Orilonishe in the inside left position. He had thirty yards to run, outstripping the Sittingbourne defence before shooting past Williams’ despairing left hand into the far corner of the net.
Forest sowed up the game on 72 minutes when some pretty poor defending allowed Cox to riffle home from 20 yards.
With the game over three players including home ‘keeper Charlie Hasler were replaced. Within 5 minutes Spiller scored from a free kick after a mistake from ‘keeper King and then on 90 they got a penalty for handball which was converted by Lovell However, by that time, the three points were already in Waltham Forest’s bag.
A really superb display against a very physical Sittingbourne side content to play the off side trap followed by the long ball.