South Park (Reigate) 1-2 Sittingbourne - There's so much more from this side to give, it's scary, says Sittingbourne manager Nick Davis

South Park (Reigate) 1 – 2 Sittingbourne
Location	Moatside Stadium, Weldon Way, Merstham, Surrey RH1 3QB
Kickoff	14/09/2022 19:45

SOUTH PARK (REIGATE)  1-2  SITTINGBOURNE
The Isuzu FA Trophy First Qualifying Round
Wednesday 14 September 2022
Stephen McCartney reports from Weldon Way

SITTINGBOURNE manager Nick Davis says there’s so much more from his side to give after progressing through the first hurdle of The FA Trophy after some late drama to beat South Park (Reigate).

Harrison Williams’ side were also dumped out of The FA Cup in the Extra Preliminary Round, losing 2-1 at Northwood and they have picked up nine points from their opening five league games, which were all played away from home as Whitehall Lane is being turned into an artificial playing surface.

Sittingbourne arrived at Weldon Way sitting in eighth-place in the Isthmian League South East Division table, with seven points from their opening four league outings.

Left-winger Bagasan Graham, 29, returned from a three-match suspension to give dominant Sittingbourne the lead going into the interval.

South Park were reduced to 10 men with 13 minutes remaining when they lost attacking midfielder Sam King with an injury to his left leg and Williams’ side threw caution to the wind and deservedly grabbed an equaliser through debutant substitute striker Aiden Brown with 51:08 on the clock.

However, Sittingbourne grabbed a last-gasp winner with 52:33 on the clock, courtesy of impressive right-back Donvieve Jones heading home to make it three wins after being knocked out of The FA Cup in a Preliminary Round Replay at home to Fisher.

“Just pleased to be through to the next round, if I’m honest,” said Davis.

“I thought we completely controlled the first half, we just needed another goal, one was never enough and it proved to be.  But on another day, if we were more clinical in front of goal it would’ve made it an easier night for ourselves.

“We knew it would be a tough game here, they’ve had a decent start to the season.  We know a lot about them, they’ve got them well drilled and we’re pleased to be through.

“Unreal, wasn’t it? We’ve scored right at the death.  That’s how it’s been this season so far. We don’t do anything easy.  I’ve said to the boys in there, we’re not even out of second gear, we’ve got so much more to give, which is really pleasing.”

South Park (Reigate) briefly started the game on the front foot with Mario Quiasacca creating a couple of chances inside the first three minutes

The striker cut into a pocket of space before unleashing a right-footed drive which flashed past the diving keeper and past the left-post from 35-yards, before he was played through on goal and shooting straight at the former Gibraltar international goalkeeper, Matthew Cafer.

“I thought he was really lively,” Davis said of Quiasacca.  “I was surprised when they took him off. He can run in behind and he was good in the air and he was a threat.”

Cafer then stepped to his right and raised both of his hands to push James McElligott’s right-footed free-kick over the crossbar to prevent the winger finding the top left-hand corner from 22-yards.

Davis added: “It’s taken a little deflection and he’s pushed it over but on another day he could’ve caught that, I thought.”

Sittingbourne almost grabbed the lead following a long throw from central midfielder Lewis Chambers in the tenth minute.

Chambers launched the ball in from the left and centre-half Harrison Pont flicked the ball on towards the far post but striker Harry Harding stretched to poke his volley past the right post from inside the six-yard box.

Davis said: “He didn’t angle his run well enough, the back post run.  We don’t use him (Chambers) as much as we could do. I don’t want to be tarred with that brush (of using a long throw all of the time).  Harry could’ve scored that had his run been angled and better timed.”

Sittingbourne then raised the tempo and produced some impressive patterns of play which included Jones and right-winger Henry Dasofunjo, which caused South Park’s left-back Seth Owens a major headache before he was withdrawn with an impact injury to the back of his knee just before the hour.

“Those two link up really well together, they’ve done it all pre-season when they played together.  They’ve got loads of energy, sort of overlaps and underlaps.  Sometimes their end product can be better but they were a constant threat today,” said Davis.

Matthew Attenborough-Warren’s second corner of the game was swung in and Graham had a couple of bites of the cherry blocked inside the box and the ball fell to Harding, whose shot from close range looped over the South Park crossbar.

Owens was the weak link in the home side’s defence and Sittingbourne created another chance in the 25^th minute after more impressive work down the right.

Attenborough-Warren rolled the ball back to Dasofunjo, who whipped in a first time cross towards the far post where Graham steered his downward header past the near post from eight-yards.

South Park (Reigate) went close to grabbing the lead following their second and penultimate corner.  Sittingbourne, meanwhile, had five.

Left-winger Ethan Ford raised both of his arms and hung over a cross towards the back post where centre-half Joe Bell powered his free header across goal and past the far post.

And from their final corner, Ford cut the ball back to King, whose first time right-footed drive sailed just over Cafer’s crossbar.

Sittingbourne weathered that brief spell from the home side and went close to scoring when Graham’s cross from the left was knocked down by Chambers and Jones poked his shot around the far post with the outside of his right boot.

Dasofunjo cut the ball onto his left-foot and unleashed a 30-yard drive which was comfortably saved by Zack Basey, who dropped down to his knees.

Sittingbourne’s dominance finally paid off when they opened the scoring with 39 minutes and 6 seconds on the clock.

Chambers (who was later forced off with a right ankle injury) was in space around 10 yards from the centre circle in his own half and hit a left-footed 60-yard diagonal to release Graham down the left.

He easily cut inside South Park’s right-back Jaden Edwards before drilling a low left-footed angled drive across the keeper to find the bottom far corner.

Davis said: “It was a good goal, wasn’t it?  I thought Chambers was immense in there today. He done everything that was asked off him, he broke it up and he put a brilliant ball through for the goal.

“Bagasan is an athlete, he’s never played at this level, he’s played in Step One and Step Two a lot of his time and he's experienced as well. It’s a fantastic finish.  We’ve missed him because he’s been suspended for the last three games so we’re slowly getting a couple of them back, so hopefully it will make us stronger.”

Sittingbourne’s centre-half Jerry Puemo had an outstanding game alongside Pont and his last-man tackle prevented Quiasacca poking his one-v-one shot past Cafer after King split open three Sittingbourne defenders with a through ball in the 42nd minute.

Davis said: “I thought Quiasacca was a threat.  We actually watched them against Merstham here when they won 2-1 (on 29 August) and he came on and scored both of their goals, so we knew he was a threat.  Jerry’s pace gets us out of trouble.”

Dasofunjo and Attenborough-Warren linked up down the right before Dasofunjo cut the ball back to Harding, who took a touch before his left-footed dink from 12-yards was plucked out of the air above Basey’s head as Sittingbourne went into the interval with just the one goal to show for their efforts.

“We thought we controlled the game and played some good football. The only issue was we haven’t got more than one because every time it’s one goal, they’re in the game.  They’re at home (hiring Merstham’s ground), they’ve had a good start to the season, they’ve got nine points from their games, right, so we knew it was going to be tough and we needed that second goal,” added Davis.

Williams certainly rallied his troops as South Park came out with all guns blazing during a front foot 10 minute period at the start of the second half.

Edwards throw was hooked on by combative central midfielder Ryan Healy and with a couple of defenders pressing him, three-goal striker Quiasacca steered his low shot past the foot of the near post from a tight angle after only 87 seconds.

“We didn’t start well, they started quite quick and I thought we were a little bit slack early on in the second half,” admitted Davis.

Sittingbourne weathered the storm and the right-wing threat of Jones and Dasofunjo was eliminated for large parts of the second half as the Kent side offered very little in attack.

They did create an opening in the 63^rd minute when Jones’ deep cross from the right was met at the far post by Harding (who leapt and challenged the keeper for the ball) and the ball fell for Graham, who clipped his left-footed volley just past the left-hand post.

“He could’ve scored that, it was a good chance,” added Davis.

“We stopped getting the ball out wide didn’t we, where we were causing a lot of problems.   We had a lead to defend and we’ve got a goal, go and get a second one.

“I don’t want to be a team that sits back. We want to keep going forward and try and get chances.”

King pounced on a loose ball before Attenborough-Warren before cracking a right-footed stinging drive towards the centre of goal from 30-yards, which was gathered by the Sittingbourne keeper at the second attempt.

However, the longer the game went on, you sensed that South Park would snatch an equaliser to force a penalty shoot-out.

Trainer Louise Weeks treated King’s outstretched left leg on the sidelines and he was forced off the pitch for the final 13 minutes and South Park threw caution to the wind as Sittingbourne sat back to protect their lead.

Substitute central midfielder Brendon Murphy-McVey’s right-footed pass was laid off by Brown and Ford ran forward 10 yards before hitting a right-footed drive into Cafer’s midriff from 22-yards inside the final five minutes.

“That’s what we restricted them to, long shots and Matt’s handling was very good.  They didn’t cut us open, it was more pops, they’re entitled to that,” added Davis.

Cafer lined up a five-man wall and held onto Ford’s left-footed free-kick which was heading towards the bottom left-hand corner.

South Park missed a glorious chance to level with 46:44 on the clock, but it fell to centre-half Matthew Faithorn.

Murphy-McVey drilled a high free-kick from the half-way line and the ball fell at Faithorn in the box and his weak left-footed shot was gathered by Cafer, who then wasted more time by going down and receiving treatment.

“They’re going to have a spell in the game, it doesn’t matter what level, teams are going to have a spell,” said Davis.

“I’m going to be honest, they probably had 15 minutes of the game and we had the remainder but we rode those attacks.”

South Park deservedly equalised with 51:08 on the clock, following a set-piece.

Murphy-McVey floated in a quality right-footed free-kick from the left touchline and Brown jumped at the near post and glanced his header across the keeper to find the far corner to spark wild celebrations from the South Park bench.

“If you’re in the Cup, you might as well lose 4-0 rather than 1-0, so they are going to throw bodies forward,” said Davis.

“You’ve always got a chance with set-pieces haven’t you? They’re quite a big side.  They pumped it in.  We dealt with it a lot.  I’m disappointed with the goal that we did concede because of the fact that we should’ve cleared it and we didn’t and it was a free-kick from the wide area and it’s a set-piece that any team has a chance of scoring and they did.”

However, with penalties looming, Sittingbourne immediately went up the other end and left-back Andrew Dythe put in a cross for Jones to bury his downward header across the keeper to find the bottom far corner with 52:33 on the clock, sparking wild celebrations from the Sittingbourne bench towards their stunned counterparts along the touchline.

“He scored against Sheppey, defenders are scoring for us at the minute,” added Davis.

“It’s great, great character.  I think they thought they got it to penalties, they celebrated quite a lot when they scored, fair enough and then for us to nick it quite at the death there, it’s the best way to win a game in the end.  They obviously ran out of time didn’t they but I don’t know where the referee got his time added on from?

“We’re a team in the making. We’re a new side, there’s so much more from this side to give, it’s scary!  What the players gave me, they gave us everything!

“I thought we were very good today, very good in patches.  Second half was disappointing but it’s a Cup game, we’re away from home on a Wednesday night and we haven’t played a game for 16 days (a 1-0 win at Sheppey United on 29 August) and that’s a big thing, 16 days without a game of meaningful football.”

Referee Thomas Hood blew the final whistle with 54:29 on the clock and Sittingbourne welcome Burgess Hill Town to Woodstock Park in the next round on Saturday 24 September.

Burgess Hill Town have lost all four of their league games and are currently at the foot of the Isthmian League South East Division table and their only two wins have come in The FA Cup, beating Stansfeld (3-1) and Corinthian-Casuals (2-1).

They came away from Felixstowe and Walton United with a 2-2 draw last night, winning their FA Trophy tie 3-2 on penalties.

“I’m expecting a tough game, they’re a very good side.  They done the same last year and just missed out on the play-offs after a really poor start.  They’re very well coached and they’ve got some good players and it’s going to be a tough game but we know a lot about them.  We’re at home, which will be nice and we go into the game full of confidence as we’re on a decent run.”

Hythe Town’s FA Trophy interest ended on Monday night, losing 3-0 here against Merstham, giving Peter Adeniyi’s side their first win of the campaign.

Sittingbourne welcome Steven Watt’s side to Woodstock Park on Tuesday 20 September.

“It’s our fourth Kent derby in a row. It’s unbelievable isn’t it?  We’ve had Ramsgate, Faversham and Sheppey and taken seven points from nine and conceded one in those three games.

“We’ve got another Kent derby in Hythe. A lot of players have played for each club, like they do in every Kent club, so it will be a really tough game.

“The aim is to make the top five, that’s our aim.  I think you’ve got to realise it takes time. We’re not firing on all cylinders but we are finding a way to win, which is pleasing, which is good.

“We’ve just got to take the old cliché of one game at a time and go from there but our aim is simple and that is to be fighting for promotion.” 

South Park (Reigate): Zack Basey, Jaden Edwards, Seth Owens (Tom Drinkwater 59), Craig McGee, Matthew Faithorn, Joe Bell, Ethan Ford, Ryan Healy, Mario Quiasacca (Aiden Brown 61), Sam King, James McElligott (Brendan Murphy-McVey 68).
Subs: Ben Jordan, Nathan Hogan, Lee Dobbs, Abel Vendrells

Goal: Aiden Brown 90

Sittingbourne: Matthew Cafer, Donvieve Jones, Andrew Dythe, Abdul Osman (Daniel Taylor 90), Jerry Puemo, Harrison Pont, Bagasan Graham, Lewis Chambers (Elliott Sartorius 56), Harry Harding, Matthew Attenborough-Warren, Henry Dasofunjo (Jason Banton 82).
Subs: James Witt, Alex Addai

Goals: Bagasan Graham 40, Donvieve Jones 90

Booked: Bagasan Graham 74

Attendance: 88
Referee: Mr Thomas Hood
Assistants: Mr John-Patrick Kane & Mr Richard Myers