The Woods once again shot themselves in the foot in an FA competition as this Trophy tie went to a replay with a stoppage-time equalising goal from the Brickies. A hard, bumpy pitch combined with a strong wind gusting down the pitch did not provide the ideal ingredients for a quality game, and the contest was strewn with mistakes and misplaced passes throughout. With Scott Raper and Ben Alexander ruled out with injury, Lee Grant and Garry Senior stepped up to the starting line-up, while Andrew Mensah came in for his debut in place of Jack Hutchinson, who opted to play for the County Under 18 side.

Sittingbourne, who are under caretaker management at present after their boss decamped to Ryman Premier side Leatherhead, had the wind at their backs in the first-half and the Woods were pinned back for much of the time. After just seven minutes, the defence failed to clear and Hicham Akhazzan poked a shot wide before Ryan Golding’s shot on the turn failed to beat Derek Lewis three minutes later. Lewis was also on hand to push a near-post shot from Luke Girt round the post and the Brickies went closest to scoring when Lewis pushed a downward header from Golding against the crossbar and the ball was scrambled off the line.

After 22 minutes, Golding cut in front the left and trod on the ball as he shaped to shoot and he had an even better chance when latching onto a Junior Osborne mistake and going through one-on-one, but he overran the ball and Lewis was able to block comfortably. Only in the last five minutes of the half did the Woods finally threaten in the final third. Mensah shot just wide from 25 yards after winning a tackle in midfield and then James McCluskey floated a ball in to Oliver Hawkins, who saw his shot saved by goalkeeper Tim Roberts before an offside flag was noticed.

Just before the break Hawkins headed on a Ronayne Marsh-Brown long throw and Senior flicked a header goalwards but it dropped just over the crossbar. It seemed as if holding onto a clean sheet in the might have been enough for the Woods as they started the second half on the attack and with the wind now behind them. Sam Sharples had replaced Mensah in midfield and after 49 minutes he played a ball into Senior, whose shot on the turn took a deflection off Jerry Nnamani and wrong-footed Roberts to give Northwood the lead.

Senior could have wrapped it up himself with a series of chances. Latching on to an Osborne pass, his shot on the turn was wide and then he headed a Marsh-Brown cross straight at the keeper. After 69 minutes another ball chipped forward by Osborne released Senior again and this time he neatly chipped the oncoming Roberts, but the ball finished inches over the bar as Sittingbourne stayed in with a chance. The Brickies almost levelled soon after as a free-kick from Dan Palfrey picked out Golding unmarked in the centre but his header lacked the power or direction to beat Lewis but it gave the home side a bit of hope for a late recovery and three minutes later Girt exchanged passes with Akhazzan before shooting just wide.

At the other end, Senior turned provider when setting up substitute Romaine Walker for a shot which Roberts dealt with easily while Senior also skied another effort but it did take a huge bobble as he went to hit it. Time was running out for Sittingbourne, but in the first minute of stoppage-time substitute Elie Kayembe looked to break down the left and as Osborne came across to intercept, he misjudged his challenge and brought him down. A free-kick and a yellow card was the result but sadly for the former Watford defender, he had also damaged his knee and limped off the pitch for treatment.

Ten-man Woods just about survived the free-kick which was pumped in the box, but the defence still looked in panic mode without their central lynchpin. The Brickies attacked again and when Girt cut in from the right, his centre picked out Akhazzan who fired home an equaliser. With Osborne taken off to hospital, it was a disastrous final few minutes for the Woods, but at least they held on to the draw and the two sides will battle it out again on Tuesday night.

Report by ALAN EVANS

Photos by James Brown