Bradbrook boost for Abbott

Wednesday 30th September 2009

SITTINGBOURNE boss Gary Abbott is under pressure to win their FA Carlsberg Trophy home tie against Wingate & Finchley on Saturday, writes Stephen McCartney.

The cash-strapped Bourne Park outfit will bank £2,000 in prize money if they win on Saturday, and if they do then they can look forward to a lucrative home clash against well-supported table-topping Ryman Premier League side Dartford in the next round on 17th October.

“We’ll try and have a good little run in it, why not?” Abbott told www.kentishfootball.co.uk, after his side were knocked out of the FA Cup by Blue Square South side Staines Town last weekend.

“It’s not going to be easy,” he warned. “Our levels are going to drop a little bit, playing teams that are two divisions above you you’re going to raise your game anyway, so Wingate & Finchley (who play in Ryman League Division One North - the same level as Sittingbourne) are going to raise their game against us.

The north London side travel to Bourne Park sitting in eight place in their division with a record of three wins and three draws from their first seven league games and will be a tough nut to crack for a Sittingbourne side that are sitting in the bottom six in Ryman League Division One South with 8 points from six games.

“They’re a decent side, Wingate are going to be no pushovers,” added Abbott. “As long as we come here with the right attitude and do what we did against Staines then hopefully we can progress and have a nice little run in the FA Trophy and try and get the club a little bit more money as well.”

Abbott has received some good news, concerning former Dartford striker Tom Bradbrook, who was expected to miss the entire season having snapped his cruciate in two places.

“We have lost a lot of players from last year and we lost Tom Bradbrook (through injury) but there’s a few good positives again with Tom,” revealed Abbott.

“Tom’s training with us now, he could be playing in another month’s time.

“If we can get a few points in the league and stay in that top play-off spot and then Tom will come back and will make us 30-40% a better team straight away with him up top.

“It’s like a new signing, I didn’t think he’d be involved all season. He was out of my head because of his injuries and then to turn it around and say he’d be playing in three or four weeks, he doesn’t have to have an operation, it’s all heeled up, I don’t know, it’s a bit of a mystery to me.

“But we’re not going to turn that down, so it’s good that he’s going to come back.”

Visit Sittingbourne’s website: www.sittingbournefc.co.uk

Sittingbourne v Wingate & Finchley

FA Carlsberg Trophy Preliminary Round

Saturday 3rd October 2009

Kick Off 3:00pm

At Bourne Park, Central Park, Eurolink, Church Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3SB