Cash-strapped Abbott faces fight to keep Reeves at Bourne Park

Monday 05th October 2009

SITTINGBOURNE boss Gary Abbott faces showdown talks to try and keep central defender Nick Reeves at Bourne park, writes Stephen McCartney.

Reeves has been subject of a seven-day approach from Ryman League Division One South rivals Chatham Town - and Abbott, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight, says Reeves’ potential move to Maidstone Road is money motivated.

“As far as I know his staying,” said Abbott, who added, “I told him about (the approach) on Saturday and told him I didn’t want him to go.

“He’s been one of our best players this and last season as well, so for him to go I would be gutted.

“It’s finding a replacement, obviously with the budget that we’ve got, we can’t go and offer players loads of money, so I’ve spoken to him after the game and he said if we can give him a little more money he’s happy to stay.

“But then I know what it’s like, he’s going to speak to them on Friday so you don’t know what they’re going to offer him - they might offer him treble than we’re giving him.

“If we can offer him more money he will be happy to stay. I’m not taking that as 100%. All I can do is he’s going to play tomorrow, train Thursday and on Friday he will talk to them.

“The only way we can keep him is to offer him a bit more money. He’s not on a lot anyway, none of my players are on good money, so it may only be another twenty or thirty quid, that’s all we can afford.

“I’m going to speak to (my chairman) Andy Spice, I’m going to ring him in a minute and see if we can give him some more money.

“To lose him would be a blow to us really. He’s been brilliant for us. He’s been getting in the box and scoring goals, he’s already scored two.

“It will be a big miss but I will get on with it if players go. Hopefully, fingers crossed, he will stay with us.”

Therefore winning tomorrow’s FA Carlsberg Trophy preliminary round replay up at Wingate & Finchley would do the Bourne Park outfit the world of good.

The winner at Summers Lane will welcome Ryman Premier League leaders Dartford in the next round, and a big Kent derby at Bourne Park would ease Abbott’s financial plight.

However, Sittingbourne have now gone six games without beating the north London outfit.

Speaking about Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Bourne Park, Abbott admitted the blustery conditions spoilt the game.

“To be fair the weather absolutely killed the game really,” he said. “Your know how windy it was - it wasn’t nice to play in. You’d rather it be hammering hard (with rain) than playing in the wind like that, so it wasn’t that nice.

“Obviously with our pitch as well, it was a bit bobbly. It wasn’t the best conditions in the world.

“We still had chances to win it. We went 1-0 up and then we came out and let in a goal after about five minutes into the second half. It was a bad goal to give away. We’ve been so tight in our defence, obviously keeping clean sheets, it was disappointing the goal they scored really.

“After that we had the chances to win the game but we just couldn’t put the ball in the net.

“We’ve got another chance tomorrow and I fancy us to hopefully go over there on a nice pitch and hopefully get into the next round.”

Everybody at cash-strapped Sittingbourne is desperate for a win tomorrow night to welcome well-supported Kent rivals Dartford on 17th October.

“We need to get a result,” highlighted Abbott. “We need the game against Dartford, obviously financially as well. You never know what’s going to happen at home against them.

“Even if we get a draw, it would be a great result, as then we go to Princes Park in front of 1,200 there. To go and do that would be brilliant so we will try and do our best and beat them on the day.”

www.kentishfootball.co.uk will be covering the game at Wingate & Finchley.

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

Wingate & Finchley v Sittingbourne

FA Carlsberg Trophy Preliminary Round

Tuesday 6th October 2009

Kick Off 7:45pm

At Harry Abrahams Stadium, Summers Lane, London N12 0PD