Sittingbourne 1-2 Wealdstone - My side giving bad goals away is unheard off - Abbott

Thursday 11th March 2010

SITTINGBOURNE 1-2 WEALDSTONE
Championship Manager Cup Quarter-Final
Thursday 11th March 2010
Mike Green reports from Bourne Park

KENT’S representation in the Championship Manager Ryman League Cup ended at Bourne Park as Ryman Premier League play-off chasers Wealdstone survived a spirited Sittingbourne display to edge into the semi-finals of the competition.

Sittingbourne boss Gary Abbott has on more than one occasion this season expressed a desire to do well in this competition and so he was a disappointed manager when he spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game.

“We wanted to get a good run in this competition and at the end of a season its always nice to be in a Cup Final,” he said, “but tonight I thought we deserved more out of the game.

“I thought we gave away two sloppy goals – we talked about it last weekend; how we’re not reacting quickly enough when the ball’s dead and that’s exactly what’s happened with their goals tonight – they’ve missed a penalty as well, but to be fair in the last 15 minutes I thought we could have won the game.”

Earlier in the week, Sittingbourne’s promotion push suffered a setback when Burgess Hill won at Bourne Park, and the manager was pleased with his sides response to that defeat.

He said: “Tuesday we were mentally tired – it was a reaction thing in the goals that we gave away. To be fair we’ve given away three or four bad goals now in the last two games and for us to let three goals in a game is almost unheard of. But I was happy with the boys performance tonight and I thought we should have got something out of the game.”

Early on though, those signs of tiredness were still evident in the home sides play, and as early as five minutes the returning Deren Ibrahim (missing for four games since injuring his leg against Folkestone) made a fine save at the base of his right post to deny full back Lee Chappell, and for the resulting corner how Charlie Mpi managed to miss the target completely with a free header beggars belief.

Not that it mattered as from their second corner (on 12 minutes) Wealdstone took the lead. This time the Sittingbourne defence failed to pick up Greg Ngoyi, who headed home.

Going behind finally seemed to wake Sittingbourne from their slumber and from Jimmy Bottle’s run Colin Richmond tested visiting keeper Sean Thomas with a fine drive.

Bottle by now was terrorising full back Adam Lodge, and after out pacing the full back for a second time Hitcham Akhazzan extended the Wealdstone keeper with a fine drive.

The Brickies were buzzing and on the stroke of half time they deservedly levelled. Again Bottle sprinted clear down the right, this time leaving Marvin McCoy in his wake. The pull back this time was perfect as was Akhazzan’s drive and the Sittingbourne top scorer had his 22nd goal of the season.

Within two minutes of the restart the visitors missed a golden opportunity to take the lead.

Ngoyi was brought down right on the very edge of the box, and after dusting himself down took the spot kick himself, only for Ibrahim to make a brilliant penalty save low down in the bottom corner.

The game then developed a cagey nature as both sides probed without asking too many questions.

Then, on 73 minutes, Sittingbourne won a penalty, when McCoy brought down Richmond. But the home side’s joy was short lived as Akhazzan’s spot kick thumped against the angle of post and bar.

Wealdstone took full advantage of the miss and won the game with a goal fourteen minutes from time.

A ball into the Sittingbourne box wasn’t dealt with and Mpi got just enough on his shot to wrong foot Ibrahim and the ball almost apologetically bounced over the line.

The Brickies then literally threw the whole of Swale at their Premier Division opponents in a bid to force extra time – Tom Bradbrook was denied by a brilliant McCoy block; Joe Horlock saw a low drive blocked by the keepers legs; Nick Reeves was denied by a brilliant low right handed save, before in stoppage time Bradbrook sent a ball into the car park when perhaps on another day the net would have bulged!

And so its Wealdstone now who host Croydon Athletic in the semi Final next Thursday – which means that Margate’s scheduled League game is postponed for a fifth time! Not that that bother Abbott at all – he was already focused on Saturdays visit to Bourne Park of the Met Police.

He said: “Going from last years team, I actually picked them to do well this year, but now they’ve been up and down – they started off not the best but have picked up – I think that Saturday’s loss to Folkestone was their first for a while.

“But its going to be a tough game, and we owe them one from down the as I don’t think we deserved to lose that game, so hopefully if we can play like we’ve done tonight, there’s only going to be one team getting the three points!”

Sittingbourne: Deren Ibrahim, Joe Horlock, Joe Dowley, Matt Bourne, Nick Reeves, Billy Manners, Hicham Akhazzan, Colin Richmond, Tom Bradbrook, Sam Payne (Elie Kayembe 55), Jimmy Bottle.

Subs: Barney Abbott, Josh Davidson, Robert Drake.

Goal: Hickham Akhazzan 41

Wealdstone: Sean Thomas, Martin McCoy, Lee Chappell, Darren Locke, Adam Lodge, Seny Didehiou (Chet Johnson 85), Lewis Lavers, Chris O’Leary, Charlie Mpi, Greg Ngoyi (Sam Blennerhassett 85), Mark E-Beyer.

Subs: Jamie Osborne, James Gray, Sam Beagle.

Goals: Greg Ngoyi 12, Charlie Mpi 77

Attendance: 74

Referee: Mr Ian Crouch (Orpington)

Assistants: Mr Tim Burman (Stone) Mr F Collins (Beckenham)