Sittingbourne FC Match Day Programme

Saturday 24 th August 2019
Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round
Sittingbourne 2 (Brown 49 mins, Caney-
Bryan 77 mins (pen), Att: 159
By Peter Pitts
The FA Cup this year has more prize money
available than ever before and for the first
time at this stage of the competition the losers
also get some cash which will at least pay the
expenses, so this competition can be a lifeline
at Sittingbourne’s level.
Sittingbourne’s recent record in this competition
is poor with them going out to lower level
teams twice in the years 2015 to 2018. Last
year they went out to 1-0 at home to Gosport
Borough, in the first qualifying round. The year
before that they went out to Pagham in a replay
at Pagham. In fact the last time they got
beyond the first Qualifying Round was September
2015, defeating Metropolitan Police 1-
0 in a replay before again losing to a lower
league team in Hoddesdon Town.
Sittingbourne and Uxbridge play at the same
level so at least there wasn’t going to be a
“giant killing”, and amazingly they have identical
playing records after the first two games of
the season, so a draw looked pretty much on
the cards.
Sittingbourne were without the injured Chris
Webber and also Roman Campbell who was
serving a suspension for the red card received
against Cray Valley PM, but wasn’t allowed to
play anyway as Gillingham didn’t want him
cup tied.
The more likely winners in the first half were
Uxbridge who caused Sittingbourne plenty of
problems from both flanks with crosses. Lex
Allan, along with the whole defence, were superb
though blocking most of the dangerous
shots, and when they got through Tom Benham
in goal was a steady pair of hands. The
closest Uxbridge actually came to scoring
came on 32 minutes when the dangerous Olie
Harris fired straight at Tom Benham, who just
Match Report
managed to block the ball.
Sittingbourne changed their shape for the second
half and got onto the front foot quickly.
Just four minutes into the half Shaun Brown
went steaming down the left and fired the ball
from an acute angle past Tyler Tobin in the
Uxbridge goal and it nestled in the far corner
of the net to give the Brickies the lead.
It was a different game now and the Uxbridge
threat down the wings diminished as Sittingbourne
took control.
Johan Caney-Brown came on for Chris Barnard
and he was instrumental in Sittingbourne
extending their league when on 77 minutes
the ball was whizzed into the Uxbridge area
where Caney-Bryan was lurking and as he
turned he was brought down. The referee immediately
whistled for a penalty, but in the
meantime the ball had been headed into the
Uxbridge net. Caney-Bryan took the kick himself
and justice was done when he curled his
kick into the left hand corner of the net and
doubled the lead.
The crowd must have expected a tense last
13 minutes but in truth Uxbridge never bothered
Sittingbourne again and it’s the Brickies
who go into the hat for Tuesday’s 1 st Qualifying
round draw.
Sittingbourne: Tom Benham, Lewis West, Jason
Fregene, Lewis Chambers, Cory Walters-
Wright (C), Lex Allan, Chris Barnard (Johan
Caney-Bryan 70 mins), Tyrone Guthrie, Shaun
Brown, Tom Fagg (Liam Middleton 63 mins Yellow
Card), Enoch Adjei. Subs Not used: Caleb
Roberts, Abdel N’Daw, Joshua Oliver, Festus
Lori.
Uxbridge: Tyler Tobin, Remell Clarke (Adam
Morris 63 mins), David Thomas (C), Callum
Duffey (Yellow Card), Elliott Poley, Alan Hedley,
Jack Beadle (Michael Kalu 70 mins), Alex
Paine, Mark Bidmead, Olie Harris, Mahlodo
Martin. Subs not used: Mark Goodman, Daniel
Nielsen, Paul McCarthy.
Referee: Mr Alexander Bradley (Brighton), Assistants:
Mr David Ellis (Brighton), Mr Duncan