Sittingbourne boss Reece Prestedge reacts as side book Isthmian South East play-off place and midweek semi-final tie at AFC Croydon Athletic with 5-0 home victory over VCD Athletic

It was “Mission Accomplished” for Sittingbourne boss Reece Prestedge as the Brickies booked their Isthmian South East play-off place on Saturday.

Requiring just a point against relegated VCD Athletic, who are due to fold after 110 years at the end of this season, Sittingbourne won 5-0 at Woodstock on a sunny afternoon.

Top scorer Derek Asamoah broke the deadlock with a superb long-range effort before defender Ben Swift doubled their lead, with attacker Harvey Smith, defender Jack Steventon and wideman Darren Foxley on target after the restart.

Prestedge, who replaced Welling United-bound Ryan Maxwell in November, said: “We set a target when we first came in that we wanted to get into the play-offs - and we have done that. We have done it a little bit of the hard way!

“But we have got over the line and, on Saturday, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

All the Brickies had to do to confirm a third successive top-five finish was avoid defeat - and even if they had lost would still have finished in the play-off places in the end - but they turned on the style.

“Before the game, I could feel the intensity from the players,” revealed Prestedge. “We treated it like a semi-final.

“That’s credit to the boys because VCD are already relegated and it was probably a bit of a nothing game for them. We sort of had to be a bit patient at the start.

“But as soon as we started to get a little bit of joy in behind and down the side, I thought we were excellent.”

Veteran former Football League striker Asamoah, now 44, calmed Sittingbourne nerves after a goalless and largely uneventful first 25 minutes.

He latched onto a long ball forward and, with Vickers keeper Toby Waller in no man’s land, fired home from around 30 yards out.

Preste