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Boss Ryan Maxwell has some welcome selection headaches amid Sittingbourne’s eight-match unbeaten run.
The Brickies completed an Isthmian South East derby double over Faversham last weekend, winning 1-0 through defender Joe Tyrie’s first-half goal.
An incredible finish saw a stoppage-time spot-kick awarded against Bourne keeper Harley Earle, who was injured and unable to continue.
But defender Harrison Pont came off the bench at Salters Lane to save former Gillingham striker Adebayo Akinfenwa’s spot-kick on his home debut.
“It’s a squad game these days,” said Maxwell, who brought in former Folkestone midfielder Simo Mbonkwi for Toch Singh.
“We have changed the shape, changed personnel and everyone has given me a great performance.
“It’s given me a great headache because I’m having to really think hard on who’s starting.
“We made a change on Saturday and I must say that Simo was man-of-the-match until he hurt his knee. He was outstanding, having come in for Toch.
“Everyone’s doing their roles so I’m delighted.”
The Brickies have moved up to mid-table and have greatly improved since Maxwell came in earlier this year. They last lost at Hythe in mid-February.
He said: “It’s been a good turnaround, hasn’t it?
“Fair play to the players. They’re giving me everything and they’re all making an impact.
“No matter if they’ve been here for one week or eight weeks, everyone is straight in, doing their jobs, mucking in and that’s how we won on Saturday because everyone put a shift in.
“They carried out their jobs and their roles perfectly well.
“It’s a derby so it’s always going to be messy on a pitch like that.
"We have got some very good footballers but Saturday wasn’t about that.
“It was about percentages, doing the right things in the right areas and we did that really well.”
Tyrie scored from close range at Faversham after Donvieve Jones had kept alive a free-kick at the back post.
Maxwell said: “Their boys switched off a bit, I suppose, so that’s disappointing from their point of view, but it was a decent goal from our point of view.
“Donvieve should have scored himself.
"At the end of the day, 1-0 was quite kind. I think they had one very good chance and the penalty, but we got the win.”
Next up for the in-form Brickies is Saturday’s home clash with fourth-bottom VCD, who are five points worse off with just five games left.
But Bourne will need to make a change in goal, with Earle out for the rest of the season after he broke his nose, a cheekbone and an eye socket in an accidental collision.
A fundraising campaign has been started by the club and has already raised more than £1,500.
Maxwell said: “It’s just another game for us.
“We’re eight unbeaten so we’re not really too fussed who we are playing and where we are playing them.
"We’re just going to keep on doing what we are doing.
“I said it before this game, I’m not fussed about anyone they’ve signed - Bayo or whoever - it’s always about us.
“It’ll be about us this weekend and we’ll keep on doing that until the season is done.”
Striker Dwade James, who has signed on dual-registration from Enfield, came off the bench at Faversham.
Go to tinyurl.com/KMHarleyEarle to support Earle in his recovery.
