Sevenoaks Town 2-1 Lewes - That's a great night for the club and I can't explain how much it means to us, says Oaks boss Micky Collins

Sevenoaks Town 2 – 1 Lewes
Location	Greatness Park, Mill Lane, Seal Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 5BX
Kickoff	07/09/2016 19:45

SEVENOAKS TOWN  2-1  LEWES
The Emirates FA Cup First Qualifying Round Replay
Wednesday 7th September 2016
Stephen McCartney reports from Greatness Park

SEVENOAKS TOWN boss Micky Collins says he cannot explain how much it means to the club after pulling off a FA Cup giantkilling act on their greatest night in their 133-year history.

Lewes, who were playing Conference football in 2009, were knocked out of The FA Cup as Sevenoaks Town booked their place in the Second Qualifying Round for the first time after coming from behind to beat their second Ryman League Division One South opponents, who arrived sitting in 13^th place in the table on six points from four league games.

Sevenoaks Town (fourteenth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier with 6 points from three games) have now banked £6,425 in FA prize money after beating Southern Counties East Football League First Division side Sporting Club Thamesmead (2-1), Horsham (4-2) and they grabbed a goal-less draw at The Dripping Pan on Saturday to get a second bite of the cherry.

Lewes took a deserved lead through Jamie Brotherton’s first goal of the season from close range, but Sevenoaks Town responded brilliantly through Harrison Carnegie’s strike just 159 seconds later.

Sevenoaks Town central defender Jack Miles capped off an outstanding night by scoring the winner with a looping header with five minutes left.

Sevenoaks Town now welcome Evo-Stick Southern Premier League side Chesham United to Greatness Park on Saturday, 17 September and are now only three wins away from reaching the First Round.

“It’s a great night for the club, a really good night,” said Collins, who spent the day wallpapering his house in Hadlow, while thinking about plotting a giant-killing act.

“I did think we had it in us on Saturday. I kept it quiet. Last ten minutes on Saturday I thought if we can get at them properly and deal with it, we can get something out of it.

“It’s an amazing night, for the effort that all the volunteers do here and the chairman (Paul Lansdale) and the board giving me the faith to come here and manage them. 

“I knew we’d get somewhere, I didn’t know how far we could get with it, but this is an amazing night, a great night in my career.

Collins is firmly putting “little” Sevenoaks Town on the map – a crowd of 280 flocked through the turnstiles and even BT Sport sent a couple of people to film the match and conduct interviews.

“Obviously there’s quite a big contingent from Lewes but we’re putting it on the map slowly, slowly,” said Collins.

“It’s not one of those things that you can do overnight. We’ve never been a massively well-supported club and the only thing we can do that is success on the pitch. We try our hardest off it to make everything right with our youth section and everything else but you have to deliver on the pitch and we haven’t done that yet tonight all off a sudden we broke barriers down.

“We’ve got BT Sport here tonight – what’s going on at Sevenoaks? BT Sport come down and have enjoyed it and see us giantkill, maybe they’ll come back for the Chesham game, who knows?”

Both sides were guilty of giving the ball away like a hot potato during a cagey start to the game, something that Collins was keen to happen.

“You don’t want to open yourself up and get caught with a sucker punch early on, not against a side of that quality, so we knew that Saturday they had chances so we kept it as compact as we could.

“I wasn’t very happy with the way we played first half to be honest with you and I was a bit irate, especially at half-time.”

The first opening went Lewes’ way but wide right striker Alex Laing blasted his 25-yard free-kick high over the crossbar.

Darren Freeman’s side had to wait until the 24^th minute for their next chance as Collins had his side well-organised.

Brotherton over hit a free-kick from the right, Joshua Jones cut the ball back and Ronnie Conlon curled his shot around the far post.

But despite the low amount of goalscoring chances, Lewes took a deserved lead, timed at 26:01.

Laing was allowed to play a low pass in behind Miles and Chris Edwards for Brotherton to tap the ball into the net from close range beside the far post.

“Poor goal that we conceded. I think we switched off and they played good football and got in but we didn’t pick our runners and that was something that we were really key to make sure that didn’t happen,” said Collins.

“We bulked out the midfield tonight to make sure that we combated them because they played very good football there on Saturday and we didn’t cope with that and I wasn’t very happy with that at all!

“We didn’t pick the runner up, simple as that! The guy’s run in behind our midfield and the next thing he’s breaking the line and he slots it across and he’s tapped it in, so a good footballing goal from them and poor from us because we weren’t disciplined enough to pick up the runners.”

But Sevenoaks Town swiftly responded, so swiftly that Collins admitted he missed the goal!

Miles hit a long ball out of defence to find Carnegie down the right channel and he cut inside and the vocal Chris Winterton will be blamed for diving to his right and getting his right hand to the ball but he couldn’t prevent the ball nestling into the back of his net.

“I didn’t see it! I didn’t actually didn’t see it,” admitted Collins.

“Everyone was in my way and I saw the ball go over the top and I think I was moaning at somebody as I usually do and then I looked and everyone cheered and it’s in the back of the net.  I saw the ball over, I saw Harrison go in but I actually didn’t see the goal at all, so I didn’t know how it went in. All I saw it roll in the net so I actually didn’t see one bit!”

But Collins was pleased with his side’s reaction to going a goal down against higher league opposition.

“It’s what was needed. We’re not a bad side at times and we proved that over two legs and going there and coming back here and getting the win, we’re no mugs but you’ve got to have 11 boys who deliver and believe in what you’re doing and at times we’re a bit disjointed.

“Even though we were one-all maybe I’m being harsh on them but I got the reaction I wanted in the second half.”

Both sides played a direct style and Lewes almost forced the lead through this method just four minutes after Sevenoaks’ equaliser.

Winterton launched a big kick, the ball was flicked on by advanced right-back Steve Brinkhurst to put Laing in on goal and his right-footed angled drive forced Oshane Brown to dive full-length low to his right to grab hold of the ball.

Brinkhurst was then put down the right and he reached the by-line and cut the ball back for Laing, whose low drive deflected off Miles leg and Brown ensured the ball didn’t creep into the bottom corner, making a vital stop low to his left.

Collins said: “He was the same on Saturday, Oshane. He’s been in for three games for us now to cover Rob French, whose injured. He’s had two clean sheets and tonight we’ve let one in but he’s a good lad. He’s come in and he’s embraced it and he’s had a great night. He’s a good lad, I like him.”

Sevenoaks Town appealed for a corner when Winterton appeared to tip Joe Bingham’s drive around the post, referee Thomas Marshall awarding Lewes a goal-kick instead.

Despite holding Lewes, Collins revealed he wasn’t happy with his players at the interval.

He said: “I moaned for 15 minutes. I wasn’t happy, I wasn’t happy at all. It wasn’t what I asked them to do so we addressed it, we had a moan and we told them what I thought they was doing wrong and where we need to put it right and I thought we did that and they executed it perfectly and hats off to them because they absorbed what I said and they came out second half and totally transformed it and then all off a sudden we never had runners coming at us in midfield. We dealt with it how we should have done in the first. Luckily we were still in the game.”

Collins side responded to his words of advice at the interval, Bingham’s drive flashing past the near post from the left hand side of the penalty area inside the opening two minutes.

But Lewes upped the tempo at the start of the second half and penned Sevenoaks back.

Collins added: “You get waves of pressure in football. Are they clear cut chances and are they goalscoring opportunities? Not really!

“They got constant pressure but they’re a team higher, you expect that but you’ve got to see it out. If you can get through those moments in a game without too many big scares you’re going to get a chance – and it’s up to you whether you take that chance!”

Jones was played in down the left channel and he cut the ball back across the face of the penalty area but central midfielder Tom Vickers dwelled on the ball too long, Sevenoaks got men back behind the ball and his left-footed shot was easily gathered by Brown.

Jones swung in a corner from the right and Alex Malins came up from the back to steer his far post header wide.

Sevenoaks created a chance with their fifth corner of the night in the 53^rd minute.

Chris Edwards’ corner from the left came out to Carnegie, who was given time and space to hit his dipping drive over the bar from 25-yards.

But whatever Lewes could throw at Sevenoaks, Brown and his defenders held firm.

Lewes’ left-back Matthew George released substitute Callum Kealy down the left and the winger cut in, his shot was blocked, and Brotherton’s right-footed 20-yarder curled around the far post.

Sevenoaks Town received a huge slice of luck on the hour-mark.

Laing got in behind Benbow down the right, cut inside and cut the ball back for Tom Vickers, whose low shot flashed across Brown and was going in but assistant referee Dan Proctor raised his offside flag as soon as a greedy Brotherton slid in to poke the ball over the line from an offside position close to the goal-line. Had he not touched the ball, Lewes would have been in front.

“You need that (luck), we had it on Saturday. You’ve got to have the rub of the green and that’s not always the case,” added Collins.

“Saturday we got it and tonight we’ve had a bit of lady luck as well. You’ve got to have that in any level of football.”

That wake-up call gave Sevenoaks Town the kick up the backside that they needed and they enjoyed their best spell of the game after 65 minutes.

Striker Andy Constable, 37, missed a glorious chance to grab the headlines when he took a touch and drove his shot straight at Winterton from 18-yards, after Carnegie was put in down the left.

“As soon as Andy has his touch, I’m having my mortgage on having him scoring because I know what he’s tried to do, he’s tried to reverse it back in the far corner. I think if he just slotted it low, keeper was stationery but he’s hit it straight at the keeper.  Nine times out of 10 you have Andy to score that.

“But it’s a great move. We broke them, we opened them up and we just ain’t put the finishing touch on it and maybe it might’ve been an easier night.”

Gary Stock, lofted in what appeared to be a poor cross from the right, which Winterton palmed over the bar with his outstretched right-hand and Benbow swung in the corner from the left and Constable’s diving, powerful header brought the very best out of Winterton.

“It’s a great header, diving header, bullet, that’s in and he’s pulled off an absolute worldy the goalie to save that,” said Collins.

“The best chances were ours. When you actually sum it up and analyse it properly, they were the two clear cut chances in the game and we haven’t taken them and then you think is it going to be our night?”

And right-back Chris Edwards whipped a trademark free-kick over the wall and towards the top left-hand corner from 35-yards, forcing Winterton to dive to his right to pull off another great save.

Collins added: “That’s a great save, that’s in, that’s in! Chrissy’s whipped it over the wall, which he does well. The goalie’s done really well tonight, he’s kept them in it.”

Lewes started to press and Miles held the Sevenoaks defence together with an outstanding performance at the heart of defence.

But Sevenoaks Town grabbed the victory with 39:04 on the clock through Miles’ first goal of the season.

Benbow swung in Sevenoaks’ eighth corner on the night from the left, which was poorly over-hit.  Carnegie chased after the ball and put a deep cross back into the box and Miles’ looping header went over Winterton and dropped in underneath the crossbar.

“Jack’s been good, he’s solid. It’s just a fantastic story, he comes from our youth and then he pops up with a header,” said Collins.

“I think he miss-headed it, like he normally does, which put the goalie off and it’s looped up and I looked up and thought that’s gone over. Next thing, everyone’s on their feet and it’s nestling in the back of the net.  Actually, at this moment I’m thinking ‘we’re going to win this, I think we’re going to hang in there and win this!”

Lewes threw bodies forward and put numerous long balls in and around the penalty area but Sevenoaks put their bodies on the line to ensure they created history for the club with a giant-killing act.

Collins said: “They’re throwing everyone up front, they’re launching it from the back to the front. They have to, they’ve got to stay in the Cup.  To be honest I thought we coped with it.  We’ve headed it clear, we’ve cleared it, we’ve seen it out and that’s a mark of maturity from my guys and I’m chuffed with them for it. 

“We could’ve so easily collapsed at the end and let them have an equaliser. We haven’t, we’ve seen it out for the win, fantastic!”

Sevenoaks Town host Sussex side Crawley Down Gatwick in The Buildbase FA Vase First Qualifying Round on Saturday, before Chesham United come to Greatness Park on Saturday, 17 September, in The FA Cup Second Qualifying Round.

“It’s an amazing night, it’s an amazing result and it’s a fantastic night for the club,” said Collins.

“We’ve got another home tie which is amazing, we’ve got Chesham to come here.  I never thought we’d get that far at the start of the season. I thought if we can get through a couple of rounds but that’s the second Ryman club we’ve beat. We beat Horsham in the round previous.

“That’s a great night for the club. I can’t explain how much it means to us just to get this far and just get the exposure and publicity that the club deserves.”

That is why they call The FA Cup, The Greatest Cup Competition in the World – for night’s like this.

Finally, finally, after so long waiting, the hard work off the pitch from chairman Paul Lansdale over the years is now paying off on it. Watch out Chesham United!

Sevenoaks Town: Oshane Brown, Chris Edwards, Greg Benbow, Jimmy Rogers (Kieron McCann 65), Jack Miles, Corey Holder (John Lord 42), Harrison Carnegie, Joe Bingham, Andy Constable (Byron Walker 81), Yacine Gnahore, Gary Stock.
Subs: Adam Marsh, Stephen Camacho, John Brown, Tom Menditta

Goals: Harrison Carnegie 29, Jack Miles 85

Booked: Jimmy Rogers 54, Oshane Brown 89

Lewes: Chris Winterton, Steve Brinkhurst, Matthew George, Tom Vickers, Stacey Freeman, Alex Malins, Ronnie Conlon (Leon Dramis 87), Lloyd Cotton, Alex Laing, Jamie Brotherton (Callum Kealy 74), Joshua Jones (Charlie Coppola 57).
Subs: Nathan Stroomberg, James Hammond

Goal: Jamie Brotherton 27

Booked: Ronnie Conlon 83

Attendance: 280
Referee: Mr Thomas Marshall (Eltham, London SE9)
Assistants: Mr Dan Proctor (Dartford) & Mr Jamie MacLeod (Welling)



Coverage Sponsored by: