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Foster hat-trick floors Willingdon

Sidley United 4 - 0 Willingdon Athletic - MSFL Premier Division

Alan Foster notched a hat trick as Sidley United returned to the top of the table with a convincing victory over Willingdon Athletic.

It was the visitors who had the first chance of this match early on however as a cross from the left found Tom Addems who hit the underside of the crossbar. But the Blues took the lead when Josh Elliott-Noye climbed well to win a header well and while Willingdon stopped and appealed for a foul, Foster latched onto the ball to round goalkeeper Dan Holt and slot the ball home on 14 minutes.

Sidley would double their lead on 19 minutes as a brilliant one-two on the edge of the area between Foster and Lee Carey saw the latter hit a thunderous strike which gave Holt no chance as it flew high into the net.

Carey was involved in the next significant act of the game when Willingdon's John Reeves went for a challenge on him, missing the ball and catching Carey high on the knee with the referee brandishing a straight red card as a result on 35 minutes. Sidley maybe dropped their level for the rest of the half with Blues goalkeeper Phil Hawkins making a good save late on but they went in at the break firmly in charge of the match.

It was all about one man in the second half though as Foster made it 3 - 0 when his low finish from Danny Ellis' ball to him deceived the goalkeeper and found the back of the net on 56 minutes. 

The visitors valiantly tried to get forward but found it tough to stop the one way traffic with Sidley frequently camped around the Willingdon penalty area without finding the killer ball. 

Foster had a great opportunity to complete his hat-trick on 77 minutes when Ellis was fouled in the area but he blazed his spot-kick over the crossbar. But he was not to be denied and just four minutes later he picked up the ball on the edge of the area, turned past his man and curled the ball into the corner of the net to claim the match ball. 

A pleasing win was capped with the clean sheet the Blues very much wanted to achieve and with results elsewhere going in their favour, the Blues are back on top with games in hand. Next week they travel to Forest Row - the only side who have defeated them this season - in their final match of 2020.

Sidley Team: Hawkins, Saunders (Clifford), McEniry, Hickman-Smith, Whybourne, Elliott-Noye, Bristow (Wells), Foster, Ellis, Carey, Trickett (Elphick). 

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