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Second half collapse sees Blues slump at Northiam

Northiam 75 4 - 1 Sidley United - ESFL Premier Division

A disappointing second half cost Sidley United as they slumped to an opening day defeat to newly promoted Northiam 75.

Northiam began strongly and had the better of the opening 20 minutes as Sidley struggled to get forward. However, they opened the scoring rather against the run of play as some good work from Doni Dovla allowed fellow debutant Danny Ellis to beat his man and fire low into the far corner on 23 minutes.

Sidley then used the momentum that goal brought and went close to a second but the home goalkeeper did well to tip away Lee Carey's goal bound strike from the edge of the area before Dovla steered an effort from a corner over the crossbar from the six yard box.

Despite that pressure Northiam kept coming and got a deserved equaliser on 44 minutes as again they were afforded too much time and space to pick out the run by Oscar Garcia Cruz and he poked the ball past Joe Rogers to bring the scores level.

Early in the second half Northiam took the lead after some hesitant Sidley defending allowed Scott Embery to nip in and lift the ball over Rogers to put the home side in front.

Sidley responded by changing to put three men up front but they failed to halt Northiam's threat and Embery added a terrific third goal as he volleyed home a cross from the left on 65 minutes.

And Sidley's day was compounded when a corner was tucked away at the second attempt by Alan Johnson on 79 minutes to put some gloss on the final score.

A disappointing result and one that Sidley will be hoping to bounce back from immediately when they take on Rye Town next weekend.

Sidley Team: Rogers, Walker (Copley), Hempe, Funnell, K Parsons, Elliott-Noye, Wells, L Carey, Ellis (Scrace), Dovla, W Parsons (Elphick).

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