Sittingbourne 2-0 Folkestone Invicta - There was no need for Austin's bad tackle, fumes Abbott

Saturday 20th February 2010

SITTINGBOURNE 2-0 FOLKESTONE INVICTA
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 20th February 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Bourne Park

FURIOUS Sittingbourne manager Gary Abbott condemned the two-footed lunge from Folkestone Invicta striker Simon Austin that saw his highly-rated teenage goalkeeper Deren Ibrahim stretchered off the pitch.

Austin was shown a straight red card by Maidstone based referee Mr Paul Harris following his 48th minute challenge, which resulted in the game being held up for eight minutes, and defender Billy Manners coming off the bench to don the gloves for the remainder of the game.

Abbott revealed to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards that the stopper has a little fracture on his shin bone and could be out of action for up to five weeks.

“It was a bad tackle. There was no need for that!” fumed Abbott. “The ball’s going to the left and he’s gone straight through up his shin. The ref’s done right to send him off.”

After seeing his side suffer only their third league defeat of the season, Folkestone Invicta boss Neil Cugley told www.kentishfootball.co.uk his take on the incident.

“Simon Austin got undeservedly sent-off really,” he said. “I felt he was going to get us a penalty actually, if he nicked it past the keeper he would’ve got us a penalty, but instead it looked like two-footed so the referee sent him off, which was a fair decision.”

Austin’s indiscretion was Invicta’s first red-card of the season and the ten-men of Folkestone failed to trouble the stand-in keeper, as a first half penalty from Hicham Akhazzan (his 18th goal of the season) and a late Tom Bradbrook swept shot kept alive Abbott’s play-off hopes.

Abbott kept faith with the same eleven players that played sixteen minutes against Chipstead two days ago, before the game was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch.

Cugley, meanwhile, gave a late cameo to a new player, Vietnamese midfielder Nhu Nguyen, who has recently been training with Blue Square South neighbours Dover Athletic and is on a non-payment deal with the Cheriton Road club.

Folkestone Invicta created two half-chances inside the opening fourteen minutes, without troubling Ibrahim.

Central midfielder, Jimmy Jackson floated a free-kick into the Sittingbourne penalty area, which was knocked down by Frankie Chappell and James Everitt brought the ball down with his chest before striking a right-footed hooked half-volley over the crossbar.

Jackson then tried his luck with a left-footed drive from 30-yards, which bounced past the diving Ibrahim - but also the post.

Sittingbourne hardly troubled Jack Delo in the Folkestone goal, but Bradbrook’s poor swept shot was picked up by the former Herne Bay goalkeeper, before the hosts broke the deadlock in the 24th minute.

Karl Dent, a player who looks much older than his 18 years, slipped the ball to Akhazzan on the left-hand side of the penalty area and his progress was ended by Folkestone skipper Micheal Everitt, who was booked.

Akhazzan recovered and sent Delo the wrong way with an expertly taken right-footed penalty kick to give the home side the lead.

In a game of few chances, Folkestone Invicta wasted a good opportunity to level on the half-hour mark.

Jackson’s in-swinging corner from the right was met at the far post by a towering header from defender Frankie Chappell, which looped over the crossbar.

Folkestone had the better goalscoring chances and should have taken at least one before the break.

A low diagonal pass from striker James Everitt released central midfielder Darren Smith in behind left-back Joe Dowley, but his low angled drive brought a comfortable low save out of Ibrahim, who then saved Austin’s curling effort from 25-yards.

Folkestone faced a mountain to climb in the 48th minute when Austin angered the Sittingbourne faithful for his challenge on Ibrahim, who needed eight-minutes of treatment before being stretchered off by three people, including chairman Andy Spice.

Austin took the walk of shame (coach Mick Dix was his escort) and one disgusted supporter in the stand voiced his disapproval of the challenge.

After collecting a grey goalkeeper’s jersey from the dressing room, Manners entered the fray and catching Peter Williams’ effort (which had looped off Dowley) must have given him confidence, although he didn’t have to display in goalkeeping talents.

Sittingbourne, who protected Manners with a solid wall, wrapped up the victory in the final nine minutes.

A long ball through the heart of the Folkestone defence found Elie Kayembe who found strike partner Bradbrook, who swept a left-footed shot across Delo from 18-yards and the ball apologetically trickled into the bottom far corner of the net.

Delo made his first real save of the game late on, tipping over a fierce drive from Sittingbourne’s right-back Joe Horlock, before, at the other end, James Everitt was angry with himself when his injury time 30-yard free-kick screamed past the post.

Sittingbourne climb up to seventh place in the table - seven points adrift of the play-off places - and keep their play-off ambitions alive.

“I thought from the first whistle we deserved that win today,” beamed Abbott.

“We could’ve even had a couple more goals to be fair. I think they had a couple little shots and once Billy went in goal I don’t think they had one shot.

“They had a few free-kick’s, I thought (they’d) put it on the keeper, but to be fair Billy used to be a goalkeeper so obviously that was the reason he went in there.

“Today’s game, I can’t fault any of the players. I thought we deserved it from the first whistle and the scoreline speaks for itself.

“A few people will be looking up at us and going they could have done Croydon
(Athletic) last week, which we should’ve and now we’ve done Folkestone and deservedly as well.”

Abbott revealed that influential midfielder, Colin Richmond, has turned down an official approach from Ryman Premier League side Aveley, although left-winger Jimmy Bottle’s future remains in the balance, following an approach from Croydon Athletic.

“I’ve had a chat with them,” said Abbott. “Colin’s already spoken to Aveley and said he doesn’t want to go and I spoke to Jimmy and he doesn’t want to go either. He might talk to them so that’s probably 50-50.

“I don’t think he’ll go. The travelling, it’s not a nice place to go to. They’re a bunch of big-timers over there. We’ll just have to wait and see on that but hopefully he’ll stay.”

Cugley’s men have lost top spot to Croydon Athletic due to losing ten-points over their CVA, where they must pay £800 every month for a five-year period.

“It was disappointing,” said Cugley. “I don’t think that was a penalty they got first half.

“It’s hard when you’ve got ten players. I felt we dominated the play. If you walked into the ground I think you would have said that we would have more numbers than them because I felt we kept the ball really well and played some good stuff.

“But we don’t really hurt teams enough in the box - that’s been the problem all year. That’s something we have to improve on as time goes on.”

Cugley added: “Our forwards didn’t hurt them enough in the first half. When you’re down to ten men it’s always hard.

“What you do, you try different formations to try to change that but we never really troubled them enough for my liking, but first half I was more disappointed.”

Cugley admits winning the title may be out of his side’s hands, so will have to settle for the next best thing.

“It will be hard because of the number of players,” he said. “We can’t really bring anymore in or do anything.

“If we stay free from injury, yes, I think we can get into the play-off’s and it will be great credit to the players.

“We never thought we’d get that far with what’s gone on, to take ten points off us as well and still be up there is all credit to them!”

Sittingbourne: Deren Ibrahim (Billy Manners 52), Joe Horlock, Joe Dowley, Matt Bourne, Nick Reeves, Karl Dent, Hicham Akhazzan, Colin Richmond, Tom Bradbrook, Elie Kayembe (Danny Bleach 83), Jimmy Bottle.
Subs: Billy Manners, Ryan Golding, Barnie Abbott, Richard Brady.

Goals: Hicham Akhazzan 24 (pen), Tom Bradbrook 81,

Booked: Karl Dent 61, Nick Reeves 86, Tom Bradbrook 90

Folkestone Invicta: Jack Delo, Josh Vincent, Josh Burchell, Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Micheal Everitt (Lee Spiller 79), Darren Smith, Liam Dickson (Peter Williams 51), James Everitt, Simon Austin, Jimmy Jackson (Nhu Nguyen 90).
Sub: James Dryden.

Booked: Micheal Everitt 24

Sent Off: Simon Austin 48

Attendance: 210
Referee: Mr Paul Harris (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Ronald Albert (Catford, London SE6) & Mr Minkuk Choi (Peckham, London SE15)