Playing Williams is not a problem, says Abbott

Sunday 21st February 2010

DEPENDABLE goalkeeping coach Steve Williams is expected to make his second appearance of the season when Sittingbourne travel to Godalming Town on Tuesday night, writes Stephen McCartney.

Highly-rated teenage stopper, Deren Ibrahim, was stretchered off early in the second half of Sittingbourne’s 2-0 home win over Folkestone Invicta at the weekend, and defender Billy Manners came off the substitutes bench to don a grey jersey and gloves for the remainder of the game.

Ibrahim suffered a little fracture on his shin bone, following a two-footed lunge by Folkestone Invicta striker Simon Austin, who was red-carded.

Williams made his only start of the season in the FA Carlsberg Trophy first qualifying round tie against Ryman Premier League side Dartford, and was beaten just once, a classy chip from injury-plagued striker Allan Tait and manager Gary Abbott has the confidence in Williams to make yet another return to action.

“Willo will come in on Tuesday night,” Abbott told www.kentishfootball.co.uk. “He’s got a big presence straight away so that’s not a problem to us.”

Sittingbourne moved up to seventh place in the Ryman League Division One South table with yesterday’s derby day win and are just seven points adrift of the play-off’s, and Abbott takes his side to fourth-placed Godalming, and a win there will be the perfect tonic.

“I want to win every game that we play in, whether it’s a friendly or whatever,” said Abbott.

“We are on a good run now. We had to win today but like I say, if we win today and go to Godalming and get beat this result is going to be a bit of a waste of time.”

Sittingbourne travel to Ryman Premier League strugglers Billericay Town on Thursday night and if they come away from Essex with a win then they will welcome Wealdstone in the quarter-finals of the Championship Manager Cup.

Sittingbourne dumped Blue Square South side Bromley out of the Kent Senior Cup by four-goals-to-one earlier in the month, and warned Billericay that they shouldn’t take them lightly.

“We went to Bromley, we’ve been to other places as well, why not? We go to Billericay to beat them!”

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

Godalming Town v Sittingbourne

Ryman League Division One South

Tuesday 23rd February 2010

Kick Off 7:45pm

At Wey Court, Mead Row, Godalming, Surrey GU7 3JE