Shepherd Neame Performance of the Month, December 2024

Our congratulations for some superb performances during December go to the following clubs:

Pitching In Isthmian Premier

Cray Wanderers seem to have spent most of December winning one-nil, and one of those one-nil wins picks up our prize. Leaders Dover Athletic, eleven matches unbeaten, welcomed Wands to the Kentish seaside on December 14th- and the visitors shocked most of the eight hundred and twenty six watching on when Nyren Clunis gave them the lead two minutes into the second half. Wands held on for a famous victory. By the way, December saw them win one-nil four times- we shall have to get the Village People to write a song about them…

Congratulations to all at Flamingo Park.

Pitching In Isthmian North

North Division leaders Bury Town were back at their own Ram Meadow on December 21st to face ninth place Brightlingsea Regent. The Blues started the day two points clear at the top, and searching for a seventh successive victory, and they had a fabulous start, Cemal Ramadan- always reliable in front of goal- putting them ahead on six minutes with his seventeenth goal of the season. Regent levelled midway through the first half, Teddy Collis with his eighth goal in fourteen matches, and on sixty four minutes the visitors silenced the home crowd once more, Jake Clowsley giving them the lead. Regent would not be moved, a fantastic victory which rather summed up their December performances- and now they have a fabulous trophy to help them remember this particular match. Congrats to all at North Road.

Pitching In Isthmian South Central

What a day the Red Army had as Horndean came to call on December 14th! First, George Moore scored after just five minutes- his fourteenth of the season- and Andrio Brandao quickly made it two. Just before the half hour the Deans saw Zack Willett dismissed along with their chances, and just before the break Moore made it three, and there was still time for Ada Okorogheye to add a fourth before the half time whistle went. The second half saw more of the same, Moore completing his hat trick for the fifth, Alex Witham adding a sixth from the spot with seventeen minutes remaining, Leo Decabo scoring a seventh six minutes later, and Okorogheye adding an eighth six minutes from time.

Despite some tough competition, we came to the conclusion that you just can’t ignore an eight-nil thrashing, so our trophy is off to Honeycroft. Congratulations to our promotion chasers.

Pitching In Isthmian South East Division

October saw us head to Sittingbourne to recognise them for an FA Trophy victory over Step Three side Dover Athletic. November saw us head to Sittingbourne to recognise them for an FA Trophy victory over Step Three side Winchester City. And December? Well we’re not sure this has ever happened before, but Sittingbourne pick up a Shepherd Neame Performance of the Month Award hat trick for their win over National League South side Enfield Town- but you’ll have to make to with a trophy, Brickies, this particular kind of hat trick doesn’t come with a match ball! 

The Towners had particularly struggled on the road, whilst the Brickies had made their home a fortress, winning every league match they’d played there - so perhaps the opening goal shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but it took only five minutes to arrive, Henry Sinai the scorer. The visitors were quickly level, however- indeed it took only four minutes before Jake Hutchinson levelled- and with twenty minutes on the clock completed the turnaround, Sam Youngs giving them the lead. The Brickies weren’t going to sit back and accept that, and on twenty six minutes Joe Boachie struck to make it two-two, before adding another to make it three-two just five minutes later! Within four minutes it was four-two, an own goal adding to the Brickies tally, and what they had, they held, to take another famous scalp. Many congratulations to the Brickies- again! Perhaps we should just set up a trophy subscription service and have them despatched automatically on the first of every month?

Many thanks to our sponsors, Shepherd Neame, the oldest brewers in Britain. With pubs and hotels across the country, Shepherd Neame should be your first choice for accommodation after a long away trip, or just for a refreshing drink or a nice meal before or after the game. You can find out more about what they have to offer by heading to their website- here.