After a run of four straight defeats, Molesey were in need of some confidence boosting points. This was therefore the perfect time to play a team in the drop zone.

Not that Sittingbourne looked like a relegation threatened team. In a game of constant breakaways from both sides, the scoreline should have been a lot higher.

Molesey were the first to attack, and by the fifth minute they’d had three opportunities, with Stanislaus and Palmer both having attempts, including a Palmer shot which got intercepted, resulting in a corner which Sittingbourne subsequently got a dangerous breakaway from.
After ten minutes it was clear how focused Molesey were on their first league win at the fourth attempt, with James McShane providing a useful engine room. This was, however, always being threatened by Sittingbourne’s ability to counterattack.

Sittingbourne right back Tom Brunt was causing Molesey’s defence problems down the right wing with his runs forward, many times putting in crosses and getting throw ins up front.

Although Molesey were enjoying most of the possession, they offered nothing dangerous throughout the first half, their main problem being that Sittingbourne were winning most of the midfield headers, which was where their counterattacking strength was being delivered from. Sittingbourne were creative, but like Molesey in the first half, had nothing dangerous to scare the opposition.

The first half came to an end without much more happening, other than potentially match-changing counterattacks coming to nothing.
The second half was a more interesting affair, with a goal from Palmer after two minutes into the restart, receiving a neat cross from Tom Windsor, which provided Palmer with an easy tap on the edge of the six yard box to find its way trickling into the corner of the net. This helped to regain the confidence of the uneasy Moles fans watching behind the goal.

Both teams continued to look dangerous, as Molesey refused to become complacent, while Sittingbourne still weren’t giving up. In a second half of, again, both teams counterattacking, both teams were struggling to punish its opposition with a final touch.
Sittingbourne did have a penalty shout in the 57th minute with keeper Liam Allen bringing down Sittingbourne’s striker, which referee Brennan refused to award.

The first yellow card was awarded a minute later when Ollie Robinson gave away a free kick. The resulting kick curled to towards the top corner, however keeper Liam Allen always had it covered.

There was a dangerous Molesey attack in the 62nd minute from McShane, who had his shot well intercepted, having been left unaided by teammates. This resulted in another Sittingbourne break that once again tested the Molesey defence.

Another close Molesey chance came two minutes later when Palmer shot just over the bar. From the resulting goal kick, Sittingbourne fluffed their backpass to Adam Molloy, which Molesey were unable to exploit, even with Molloy slicing from the backpass.
The next fifteen minutes contained some creative Molesey teamwork going forward, including shots from Palmer and Stanislaus, with slick crosses coming in from Sam Robinson on the left.

The game started to become action packed from the 83rd minute, with some very interesting up and down play as the game got closer to finishing. Molesey were finally rewarded with another goal, which included some Maradona-style fancy footwork from McShane, who’d received a cross from Stanislaus. With McShane doing a one-two between each of his feet, he coolly tapped it past Molloy into the corner of the net. Two-nil, seven minutes to go, and the game seemed over.

Three minutes later Sittingbourne were back in it, with Ollie Bankole providing a lifeline, mainly due to a complacent Molesey defence appearing to believe the match had reached 90 minutes. It was a typical late consolation goal
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A minute later substitute James Cottee smacked a post, having been on for nine minutes to replace Palmer. In the 88th minute Sittingbourne attacked, then McShane broke and ran down the field, only to have his shot well stopped by Molloy, which resulted in yet another Sittingbourne break which should have brought an equaliser, with Jono Richardson guilty of a terrible miss in front of an open goal, shooting over the bar.

The game finally came to an end after four minutes of injury time, much to Molesey’s relief. Molesey go within one point of a playoff place on 41 points. It was the confidence boost needed before playing at home to runaway leaders Folkestone on Tuesday night.