THE ROAD TO WEMBLEY: Let's finish off the job!

www.kentishfootball.co.uk previews some of Tuesday night’s FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) First Qualifying Round replays.

Steve Lovell believes his Sittingbourne side will take advantage of home comforts and knock out Dartford in Tuesday night’s FA Cup First Qualifying Round replay, writes Stephen McCartney.

Lovell can draft Kieran Marsh back into his squad for the Bourne Park clash, but he will be without the services of Lee Hockey (foot) and Anthony Hogg (groin and ankle) after the pair hobbled off during Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Princes Park.

“I need to make a few changes,” Lovell told www.kentishfootball.co.uk after Saturday’s game.

“Lee Hockey and Anthony Hogg are both injured, but I’ve got Kieran Marsh back, so he’ll be a big plus for us.”

Lovell was impressed with substitute, Colin Richmond, 17, and Anthony Allman, who started his first game for the Brickies following his switch from Ashford Town.

“I thought young Colin Richmond, who came on second half, performed very, very well in midfield, so did Anthony Allman, who I thought had a great game.”

But Lovell asks his two central defenders Paul Ainsworth and James Campbell to stamp their authority on Darts strikers, Jay May (who gave Dartford a 13^th minute lead on Saturday) and Brendon Cass.

“I thought we gave them (Dartford) too much respect first half, especially our two centre halves (who) gave their two forwards too much respect.

“Second half we bossed them and I think that made the difference and we went on and I thought we played very well (during the) second half.”

When asked whether his side will win the replay, and set up a home clash against Combined Counties League side Camberley Town in the next round on 29^th September, Lovell replied: “Yes, if we play like we did today Steve, I think we will do.”

But Dartford boss Tony Burman hopes it will be his side that play the Surrey outfit in the next round.

Burman can call upon combative midfielder Alex O’Brien on Tuesday night, as the former Tonbridge Angels player has now served his three match ban.

Dartford are still without winger Ryan Hayes (foot), who will have his plaster removed by the end of this week, and full-back Tommy Osborne is still nursing an ankle injury, which keeps him out for at least two more weeks.

Burman feels his side shouldn’t even be playing at Bourne Park, especially as his side squandered numerous chances in the first match.

And he asks May and Cass to find the target in the replay.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my front two second half with their holding up of the ball,” Burman told www.kentishfootball.co.uk after Saturday’s game, where Sittingbourne levelled through Mitchell Sherwood’s first goal of the season with five minutes left.

“It was going forward but their first touch, the pair of them, was poor.

“They’ve got to be told that, they’re good players and the pair of them have got eleven goals between them, but again, as much as they were good in the first half, they’ve got to keep it going for ninety minutes.

“We had the best chances in the second half, which we didn’t convert, but I can’t ask for everything, but I felt we was a little bit sloppy second half.

“When that happens and you don’t get that second goal, there’s a chance that you’re going to get punished, and we did, so we’ve got to play on Tuesday.”

Burman, meanwhile, challenges his players to reach the first round of the competition - to milk the publicity.

Burman had two microphones put in front of him (BBC Radio Kent and www.kentishfootball.co.uk) after Saturday's draw - but he wants more.

“I’ve got to be confident, it’s the FA Cup, it’s publicity for the teams and us,” he said.

“You’re here today and you’re putting mikes in front of me mouth and I’ve told the players that’s what the FA Cup is all about.

“The further you go the more mikes you’ll get in front of you. But they like that, we all like it really.

“This is the first time we really haven’t worried about the money and I think we can go and enjoy and express ourselves.

“In the first half (on Saturday) we done well, and there’s no reason we can’t play like that again at Bourne Park.”

Tony Dolby is confident his Tonbridge Angels side will make it through to the next round of the competition - by beating Croydon Athletic in their replay at the Betterview Longmead Stadium on Tuesday night.

“We should have finished the job off on Saturday,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“Missed chances again, (but) we’re at home, very confident we can put in a good performance and progress.”

Like Dartford, the Angels squandered numerous chances at Mayfields on Saturday, and had to settle for a 1-1 draw, after the Rams cancelled out Hamid Barr’s goal.

“We started off very well, created a few good chances, which we failed to take and a little bit of confidence started coming out of us to be honest,” recalled Dolby.

“We started brightly second half, got the goal, and should have gone on and scored a few more goals.

“But we gave away a sloppy goal again and spent the last twenty minutes or so camped in their penalty box, corner after corner, not being able to finish it.”

But Dolby warned that their Ryman League Division One South visitors will not lie down and die.

He said: “They’ve got some fast players, a couple of older heads, who have played a bit.

“They’re not a bad side at all and will cause problems in the league that they’re in.”

Dolby added: “Nothing than a win is acceptable tomorrow night, but this is the FA Cup.”

If Dolby’s underperforming side take advantage of home comforts, then Maldon Town, who play in Ryman League Division One North, will visit in the next round.

“They’re going to provide a stern test,” predicted Dolby. “We’re at home - if we get through - one game at a time, I think.”

Dolby was disappointed that his long-term target, striker Steve Harper, failed to impress and explained why the former Welling United striker has been released, and has since signed for Ryman League Division One South outfit, Burgess Hill Town.

“From my point of view, it didn’t quite happen with Steve,” admitted Dolby, 33.

“I asked the chairman to back me to bring another forward in and I’ve been after Steve for quite a long time.

“We didn’t see the best of him. Because of the start we had it was pretty difficult to keep everybody in.

“I think it (releasing Harper) was the right thing to do, with everyone coming back from injury - we went over budget.”

Adam Greenway (metatarsal), a long-term injury, is the only player missing from the squad at present.”

When contacting Folkestone Invicta boss Neil Cugley, it was evident that he was having a brief break abroad - but he will be back in the dug-out for tomorrow night’s replay at Ryman One South Horsham YMCA.

Invicta, with a better away record than at home, should have enough in them to earn a home tie with Windsor & Eton in the next round.

Cugley revealed that he’s going to recall James Corbett for the replay at Goring’s Mead, after his side were held to a 1-1 draw at Cheriton Road, and have yet won a match on home soil.

But he said: “I’m confident we’ll get through.”

www.kentishfootball.co.uk will be providing LIVE score updates of the Sittingbourne v Dartford FA Cup First Qualifying Round Replay at Bourne Park.


Tuesday 18^th August 2007
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON)
First Qualifying Round Replays

Deal Town v Dulwich Hamlet

Horsham YMCA v Folkestone Invicta

Sittingbourne v Dartford

Tonbridge Angels v Croydon Athletic

Kent Senior Cup First Round

Cray Wanderers v Maidstone United

Blue Square Premier

Burton Albion v Ebbsfleet United

Blue Square South

Braintree Town v Fisher Athletic

Eastbourne Borough v Welling United

Kent League Division One

Folkestone Invicta v Whitstable Town

Kent League Division Two

Greenwich Borough v Croydon

Kent Soccer Company Floodlight Trophy (West)

Dartford v Herne Bay

Faversham Town v Tunbridge Wells

Wednesday 19^th September 2007

FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON)
First Qualifying Round Replay

Croydon v Worthing

London Senior Cup First Round

Lewisham Borough v Thamesmead Town

Kent Soccer Company Floodlight Trophy (East)

Dover Athletic v Ashford Town

Kent Intermediate Cup First Round

Sittingbourne v West Wickham