Sittingbourne 2-3 Staines Town - Fuming Abbott: The referee had an absolute nightmare!

Saturday 26th September 2009

SITTINGBOURNE 2-3 STAINES TOWN
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 26th September 2009
Stephen McCartney reports from Bourne Park

ANGRY Sittingbourne boss Gary Abbott claimed that Essex based referee Wade Norcott “cheated” his side out of a first half penalty that could have kept his side in the FA Cup.

With his side losing 1-0 at the time, Adam Cottrell’s floated free-kick clearly struck the outstretched raised hand of Staines Town defender Dominic Sterling and the Harlow based official failed to award the Kent side a 22nd minute spot-kick.

“Obviously when you’re playing a team that’s two divisions above you, but to go out the way we went out, you can tell by my voice that I’m not happy,” Abbott fumed when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“The referee has had an absolute nightmare! He’s not given us two penalties, he blows the whistle when we’re going to take a (last-gasp) corner!

“Decisions that should’ve been ours, they’ve not given. He’s not told his assistant how many minutes to put up at the end of the game so I’m glad he’s been assessed today. Let’s hope they sort it out because I’m not happy!”

Abbott added, “I thought we got cheated out of it!”

Staines, unbeaten on their travels in Blue Square South, were gifted a tenth minute opener, which was accepted by Marien Ifura and Sittingbourne’s negative 4-5-1 formation ensured lone-striker Hicham Akhazzan endured a frustrating first half as balls came back to where they came from as Sittingbourne didn’t have a man up top who could hold up the ball and bring other players into the game.

Staines doubled their lead in the 57th minute as striker Elliot Onochie netted his fourth goal of the season, but Sittingbourne fought back through Nick Reeves’ downward header just three minutes later.

The Brickies pressed for the equaliser as striker Elie Kayembe came off the substitutes bench to add spark to a game that was clearly lacking excitement.

But when Staines substitute, Ali Chaaban, a recent re-signing from Bromley, scored his side’s third goal with four minutes left, against the run of play at the time, that sent Sittingbourne crashing out of the competition, but Akhazzan netted a last-gasp penalty to score the game’s fifth goal, although in truth it was never an exciting game at Bourne Park.

Staines broke the deadlock through some poor Sittingbourne defending, following their first corner of the game.

Howard Newton, who delivered all of their five corners, found Ifura unmarked at the far post and the central defender powered his header through a crowd of players and past Deren Ibrahim at his near post.

The game then turned into a midfield dual - but Sittingbourne had a cast-iron penalty turned down when Sterling got away with a clear handball - his hands were raised above his head and flicked the ball away - as Cottrell floated a free-kick into the Staines box.

Sittingbourne stopper Ibrahim made a comfortable save from Sterling’s far post powerful header in the 34th minute, this time Newton delivering a corner from the right.

And Newton’s weak hooked shot was never going to trouble the teenage goalkeeper.

It took Sittingbourne 51 minutes to create their first chance of the game when left-sided midfielder Matt Bourne, in only his second appearance, saw the ball drop over his shoulder before the former East Thurrock player cracked a 30-yard effort, which dropped wide.

But Staines had one foot in the penultimate qualifying round, courtesy of Onochie in the 57th minute.

Andre Scarlett danced his way through the home defence and his shot was blocked, but Onochie was on hand to dink the ball over the diving Ibrahim, who tried in vein to stop the ball finding the far corner.

But Sittingbourne gave themselves a lifeline when central defender Reeves scored his third goal of the season.

Billy Manners’ cross from the right was met by a downward header from Reeves, which bounced past Louis Wells to find the bottom far corner.

That gave the home side the spark that they desperately needed and Sittingbourne’s largest crowd of the season - although a crowd of 196 for a game like this was disappointing - urged on their side.

But the home side squandered an excellent chance to draw level in the 79th minute.

Colin Richmond’s right-wing corner dropped to Akhazzan on the edge of the box and after exchanging a one-two with Kayembe, the nippy striker snatched at the chance and the ball ballooned over Wells’ goal.

Wells, who had one of his quieter games, made a routine comfortable save as Richmond tried his luck with a poor 25-yard drive.

But despite pushing bodies forward, Staines wrapped up the victory in the 86th minute with a classic counter attack.

A Sittingbourne attack broke down and the home side left only left-back Joe Dowley on the half-way line and Staines clinically punished the home side.

Chabaan raced through the middle of the pitch and had options either side and decided to slide the ball to Onochie, who returned the ball to the former Bromley striker, who coolly sold Ibrahim a dummy and as the goalkeeper was left on his backside, rounded Ibrahim and comfortably walked the ball into the corner of the net.

Sittingbourne did pull a second goal back with 47:57 on the clock.

Midfielder Ashley Grant was released down the left and he was fouled just inside the box by Scarlett and Mr Norcott finally pointed to the spot.

Wells did guess the right way, but Akhazzan’s right-footed spot-kick had enough on it to find the bottom left-hand corner.

Sittingbourne fans left Bourne Park wondering why Abbott adopted a 4-5-1 formation for the first half when they maybe should their higher-league opponents too much respect.

“We went 4-5-1 because we’re playing a team two divisions above us so you’ve got to take that into consideration,” explained Abbott.

“We wanted to keep it tight across the midfield, which I thought we done, apart from the goal, which we’ve given away.

“How many shots did Del (Ibrahim) have? He didn’t have a save to make so that 4-5-1 works for us, with Hicham down the middle.

“We’ve got a couple of players who need a few more minutes but I think there’s a lot of positives to come out of the game today.”

Abbott was, however, disappointed with his side’s defending, which gifted Staines an early advantage.

“Our plan was to keep it tight for the first twenty minutes and then obviously the game will change,” he said.

“But for them to score after ten minutes straight from a corner, to be fair the centre half (Ifura) just drifted off around the far post for a free header. It’s just not good enough! We’re shouting from the sidelines to pick the 5 up but by the time you do that it’s in the back of the net.

“I thought after that the last 20 minutes of the first half I thought we took the game to them, not a lot of chances, obviously.

“One-nil at half-time, we came out for the second half, kept the same side, made a few changes after 20 minutes and went three up front.

“We went 2-0 down from a shot from Colin Richmond, which should’ve been another penalty, they’ve gone up and scored to make it 2-0 and we’ve managed to score straight away.

“They’re heads did drop a little but and to score within (three minutes) to make it 2-1, I thought we deserved it.

“There was no way we should’ve been 2-0 down and like I say 2-1 we’re at it. We’re all over them, they didn’t know what to do.

“The three up front was holding it up, we were getting balls into the box, the keeper’s panicking, they’re panicking and I thought we’re going to get another goal here.

“And Colin Richmond’s shot, which was going into the goal, and their hands touched it and it’s come away and they’ve come away with the third goal, which the linesman has got to help the ref out a lot more and I say that every game.

“I wasn’t to be and for us to get a penalty to get it back to 3-2, we’ve done well! We could’ve done with the last corner but it wasn’t to be - so not happy!”

Thanks to their wins over Horley Town (at the second attempt) and Folkestone Invicta, Sittingbourne have banked a total of £4,500 in prize money for the Football Association - although Staines, in their first FA Cup tie, have banked the same amount from today’s efforts.

Every pound counts for cash-strapped Sittingbourne and Abbott added, “I’ve just been speaking to the Staines chairman and he’s just said he’s wage bill is probably six times more than what ours is! I’d probably say it’s a little bit more! Two of their players is probably getting what the whole of my team’s getting!”

Sittingbourne: Deren Ibrahim, Femi Omogbehin, Joe Dowley, Matt Bourne, Nick Reeves, Ashley Grant, Billy Manners (Elie Kayembe 76), Colin Richmond, Hicham Akhazzan, Adam Cottrell, Matt Lovell (Jon Neal 65).
Subs: Joe Horlock, Richard Brady, Kweku Ansah, Matt McHugh, Nytram Dixon-Baker.

Goals: Nick Reeves 60, Hicham Akhazzan 90 (pen)

Staines Town: Louis Wells, Simon Jackson, Dominic Sterling, David Woozley, Marien Ifura, Andre Scarlett, Howard Newton, Michael Kamara, Scott Taylor, Elliot Onochie, Marc Charles-Smith (Ali Chaaban 70).
Subs: Marc Cumberbatch, Chris Bourne, Leigh Mason, Trent Phillips, Darty Brown.

Goals: Marien Ifura 10, Elliot Onochie 57, Ali Chabaan 86

Attendance: 196
Referee: Mr Wade Norcott (Harlow, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Graham Weston (Harlow, Essex) & Mr Peter Wilson (Chelmsford, Essex)