Duane Ofori-Acheampong is set to extend his loan spell at Sittingbourne.

The big striker was due to return to Hungerford after the Brickies’ Isthmian South East home game against Whitehawk this Saturday.

But after scoring five goals in as many league games, including the winner at Lancing last weekend, he’s staying on at Woodstock.

“Duane wanted to stay and convinced the Hungerford manager to let him have another month,” said Brickies boss Darren Blackburn.

“I don’t think they wanted to extend the loan initially and I totally get why they wanted him back. He’s a striker and he’s there to score goals.

“If you look at his goals with us, they’ve probably been scored from a combined distance of 12 yards.

“The lads have put in a lot of effort to make the chances and Duane, as all good strikers do, has put the finishing touches to that hard work by the team.”

Sittingbourne are seventh, six points off the top five, after Ofori-Acheampong’s second-half header at Lancing.

They were grateful for goalkeeper Harry Brooks’ heroics - including a point-blank save with his face - before coming good in the second half to complete the double over their struggling hosts

A change in system paid off, with captain and striker Kane Rowland dropping into a back three.

“We struggled to get anything going in the first half, we were that bad,” said Blackburn.

“It wasn’t a case of making subs because we’d been bad collectively.

“I’ve not seen us that disconnected as a team, nothing worked and we were lucky it was 0-0.

“We switched to a back three, put Kane as the right-sided centre-half, and the message was change of formation, change of mentality.

“Second half, there was only one team in it, so the changes worked.

“Kane was happy to go back there again, he loves a challenge, he loves captaining the team.

“He’d head a brick wall if you stuck it in front of him.

“He’s got all the attributes to make a very good centre-half.

“I know he’s played a level up with Folkestone but when I look at some of the better defenders in the league, if he’d learned his trade at the back, he could have been a real asset for someone, maybe even more so than he has been up front.

“He’s a very good centre-forward but it’s good that we can switch our system without making any subs. I think it caught Lancing napping.”

Meanwhile, winger James Hawkins has rejoined Erith & Belvedere.

Blackburn had a lot of time for the tricky left-footer but understands his reasons for going.

“He needs to be closer to home,” said the Brickies boss.

“His partner is pregnant, and we congratulate him on that, and he’s busy at work, so it suits him to go back to Erith & Belvedere.

“We’ll keep him registered and and if we’re ever short, we’ll see if he can help us out.”

Sittingbourne lost 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw against VCD in Kent Senior Cup first round last night.