Low key League Cup is not high on the agenda for local rivals

WHITSTABLE TOWN boss Marc Seager will be hoping to exchange some friendly banter when he arrives at work tomorrow morning, writes Stephen McCartney.

Seager’s struggling side, who suffered an abject 4-0 defeat at Godalming Town on Saturday that leaves them in the Ryman League Division One South drop zone, travel to Sittingbourne for a Ryman League Cup Second Round clash, hoping to get one over his boss at work, Brickies’ chairman, Andy Spice.

The Bourne Park showdown passed a lunchtime pitch inspection today and Seager, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk, is looking forward to taking his side to one of his former clubs.

“I always look to see when the Sittingbourne fixture is because I’m a local lad,” said Rainham resident Seager.

“I won the Beazer Homes (now the British Gas Business) League with Sittingbourne and I had many, many good years with the club and it’s a club close to my heart.

“Even now I follow their results but when we play them I do everything possible to beat them.

“I’m looking forward to the fixture and it always seems to be good games between us.”

Like most other managers here in Kent when it comes to the early rounds of low-profile cup competitions, Seager is expected to make some changes tonight.

“It’s a perfect opportunity to play your fringe players,” he said.

But he added: “Club’s always want to go and try to go as far as they can in the cups. It’s not the same razzmatazz as the FA Cup or FA Trophy, but the Ryman League Cup is the perfect opportunity to use different players to have a look.

“The most important thing are our league games, that’s our main priority.”

Meanwhile, Sittingbourne boss Gary Abbott is relieved that tonight’s game has been passed fit to go ahead by local whistle blower Ian Gosling.

The Brickies haven’t played for fourteen days, owing to the postponements of their games against Cray Wanderers (who had FA Trophy commitments against Brackley Town) and Leatherhead (waterlogged pitch).

Such inactivity has seen Sittingbourne slide down the Ryman League Division One South table to eleventh place with 26 points from 16 games, having scored 28 goals - and leaked in the same number.

Abbott, also speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk, was satisfied with his side’s performance during their last cup tie - a 3-2 defeat at Blue Square South side Welling United in the first round of the Kent Senior Cup on 11^th November.

Abbott, who has yet given local lad, Matt Bourne his debut following the central defender’s move from Folkestone Invicta, said: “Obviously I want to win every game, I think everyone does.

“We went to Welling and we were the better team and played them off the park but we didn’t put our chances away.

“To come away from Welling with a 3-2 (defeat) was a great result for us.

“The league is our priority, getting in the play-off’s, but I want to win (against Whitstable).

“I will play a couple of players who aren’t getting 90 minutes so there will be probably two or three changes.”

Joe Dowley, meanwhile, sits out tonight’s derby through suspension.

Visit Sittingbourne’s website:  www.sittingbournefc.co.uk

Visit Whitstable Town’s website: www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk

Sittingbourne v Whitstable Town
Ryman League Cup Second Round
Monday 1^st December 2008
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Bourne Park, Central Park, Eurolink, Church Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3SB