An incident packed match ended all square as the two teams shared six goals at Mill Lane today. A hard fought game that Sevenoaks led 2-0 at the break saw a spirited fightback from City in the second-half firstly, to level at 2-2 and then again at 3-3.

 

It was a depleted City side that took to the pitch being able to name just Bobby Powell on the bench, with Scott Punton filling in at right back and James Simmons coming straight in to an attacking midfield role. 

 

Some inconsistent refereeing dogged the match throughout. Right from the third minute a Sevenoaks played kicked the ball away as City were preparing to take a quick free kick, an action that would normally earn any player an immediate yellow card but not in this case – too early in the game perhaps! In addition, several yellow cards were shown and both sides suffered a red card (Joe Kennett for City and an official off the bench for Sevenoaks), both following interventions by the same linesman. A home player appeared to be booked for over celebrating a goal, whilst both keepers were involved in incidents that probably warranted harsher punishments. Finally the first half lasted ‘only’ fifty-seven minutes despite what amounted to nearer to twenty minutes of stoppage time

 

Sevenoaks undoubtedly governed the first half. Joe Nwoko blasted a shot over the bar early on, then had a cross drift just past the far post and Tony Atkins had an effort saved by Connor Quinn in the City goal.  

 

Then the first major incident of the match. Bursting through at pace, Michael Smisson beats Sevenoaks keeper Matt Bailey to the ball by a split second and poked it past him. The two players then collide and both go down in a heap. Surprisingly, no foul is given and the referee waves play on. Several seconds pass as both are clearly injured and eventually the game is halted. Smissen hobbles off having been caught by Bailey who in return has come of the worse with a bad wound to his foot. It takes around ten minutes of treatment before Bailey is patched up to resume, albeit somewhat gingerly. The visitor’s view is that the keeper has brought Smisson down as he knocks the ball past him but the referee doesn’t even see a foul.

 

On thirty-two minutes, Sevenoaks take the lead. A long free kick is sent in over the City defence and Jordan Clark comes around the back with a diving header to put his side in front. City almost equalise straight after as Simmons heads a Macauley Murray corner goalwards, but it is acrobatically cleared off the line by Sevenoaks’ Joe Stephenson. 

 

Renford Tenyue floats in a lovely cross for City, but no-one is there to benefit and Atkins tries a long range effort that goes wide of Quinn’s goal. Another lengthy stoppage then occurs when Chris Steadman is injured in his own box for Sevenoaks, having collided with another player. 

 

When the game restarts, City appeals for a penalty for hand ball are waved away as a Kennett header comes off a defender. There is soon a third long stoppage when Jake Marsh and Fraser Cronin both go down following a clash of heads. The unlucky Marsh comes off the worse and is eventually escorted off the pitch in a rather dazed state forcing manager Paul Murray to send on his only substitute, Powell, to replace him. 

 

Sevenoaks are on top as the half ends as Nwoko shoots wide and then they grab their second. A cross from the left seems harmless enough as it arrives near Atkins with his back to goal. No challenge is made or opportunity taken to clear the ball and it bounces kindly for the Sevenoaks striker who pulls off a clever little over head kick to score past Quinn for 0-2. In the jubilant celebrations that follow, a yellow card is shown to the player and then a red to the official. It’s anybody’s guess what happened there. Half time comes with fifty-seven minutes on the watch, but that almost certainly does not nearly account for all of the stoppages.

 

City start the second half with a bit more effort and determination and they are soon threatening Bailey’s goal. Smissen leads from the front looking by far the most likely and almost wriggles his way through but has a shot well blocked. Kennett has a header saved by Bailey and Smisson’s follow up effort is cleared off the line by Steadman. Smissen makes himself some space on the right before shooting into the side netting and then the home side are grateful to Clark as he does brilliantly to head out a City free kick from right under his own bar. 

 

Clark comes to the rescue again, scooping the ball away from Powell just as he odds on to burst through the middle, then City’s momentum is stifled for a moment as Kennett receives his red card, sorry to say I couldn’t work out what went on there either!

 

On sixty-seven minutes, City get themselves back in the game despite being down to ten men.  A long clearance is helped on by Powell through to Smissen who shakes off his marker and fires home off Bailey from inside the box for 1-2. Just four minutes later City are level. A Murray free kick comes back out of the box and is sent back in over the top by Sam Baker. A trio of City players time their runs to perfection, but it is that man Smissen who takes control and powers his second home from about eight yards to make it 2-2.

 

You would think the tide was with City now but it’s Sevenoaks who are spurred forward in this exciting match. A break is thwarted by a last ditch tackle in the box by a City defender and Quinn stands up well to beat away a shot in a one-on-one situation. City are pressing forward for a possible winner though and they thought they had it when Simmons heads home a City corner just as the referee blows his whistle for pushing in the box. 

 

But almost 3-2 then turns to 2-3. Eighty-second minute and a Sevenoaks player is clean through and about to go round Quinn when the City keeper brings him down. It looks a stonewall red card, but in keeping with other strange decisions, he’s somewhat relieved to see only a yellow brandished his way and a penalty awarded, which George Savage crashes home to give the home side the lead once again. 

 

City haven’t given up though and just three minutes later they’re back on level terms. Smissen caps off a fine second half performance as he gets to the right by-line, beats a defender and puts the ball across for Tenyue to squeeze it home from a tight angle off a flailing Sevenoaks body for 3-3.

 

In the time that remains, City have a very strong shout for a penalty as Bailey brings down Smissen and Sevenoaks almost steal it deep into stoppage time as a cross from the left is headed back across an almost open City goal but wide.

 

Final score City 3 Sevenoaks 3.

 

City; Connor Quinn, Scott Punton, Chris Elliott, Sam Baker, Michael Scott, Renford Tenyue, Macauley Murray, Jake Marsh (Bobby Powell), Michael Smissen, Joe Kennett, James Simmons.