Wingate & Finchley 1-2 Sittingbourne - It means so much to play lucrative Dartford tie - Abbott

Tuesday 06th October 2009

WINGATE & FINCHLEY 1-2 SITTINGBOURNE
(after extra time)
FA Carlsberg Trophy Preliminary Round Replay
Tuesday 6th October 2009
Stephen McCartney reports from Harry Abrahams Stadium

LOCAL HERO Matt Bourne completed a smash-and-grab raid to inflict Wingate & Finchley’s first home defeat of the season as Sittingbourne clinched a lucrative home derby with Dartford at Bourne Park on Saturday week.

The central defender headed home Colin Richmond’s 94th minute corner to win this FA Carlsberg Trophy preliminary round replay, which lasted two hours in north London.

Wingate & Finchley took an early lead through an own-goal from want-away central defender Nick Reeves - who will tell rivals Chatham Town on Friday whether he wants to sign for Alex O’Brien’s side - and then played Sittingbourne off the park for the whole of the first half.

But the turning point came in the last 32 seconds of first half injury time as Richmond’s stunning free-kick brought Sittingbourne back from the dead - as the Kent side levelled with their only shot on target during a poor first half showing.

The home side struck the post early in the second half but both sides failed to have the killer touch so the game went into extra time, before Sittingbourne resident Bourne headed home at the far post to book a home tie against Dartford, which is worth at least £5,000 to the Bourne Park outfit.

Sittingbourne boss Gary Abbott, who reverted back to a 4-4-2 formation for the first half, only to tinker with it as his side were run ragged by a Wingate & Finchley side that sprayed the ball all over the immaculate pitch during the first half, made two changes from Saturday’s team that were held to a 1-1 draw at windy Bourne Park, as Billy Manners and striker Elie Kayembe, who later went off injured, came into the side.

But they got off to the worst possible start, as Wingate & Finchley opened the scoring, following their first corner kick, inside the opening five minutes.

Welshman Michael Lenahan, in driving wind and rain, had the intelligence to swing in a high hanging corner from the right, and this curled into the far corner, via Reeves, who stabbed the ball into his own net.

Sittingbourne keeper Daren Ibrahim, who cannot play against Dartford in the next round as per an “agreement” between both Kent clubs, came off his line to block James Gershfield’s shot after the impressive Leon Fisher drove a free-kick into his path down the left hand side.

The home side’s football was a joy to watch as they sprayed the ball all over the pitch at regular intervals, but thankfully for Sittingbourne, they failed to add to their advantage.

The lively Fisher stroked a deflected right-footed shot into Ibrahim’s arms with nine minutes of a one-sided first-half remaining - before Sittingbourne grabbed a lifeline inside stoppage time.

The Brickies were awarded a free-kick just 20-yards from goal and up stepped Richmond to curl a right-footed free-kick into the top far corner, leaving 37-year-old home keeper Gavin King rooted to the spot.

The leveller, totally against the run of play, seemed to stun Wingate & Finchley, although they created a couple of decent chances early in the second half.

Fisher slipped the ball in behind the Sittingbourne defence for striker Leon Smith, whose angled drive was well blocked by Ibrahim.

But the 18-year-old stopper was a lucky man when Gershfield smacked the left-hand post with a fierce drive in the 53rd minute.

Former Reading defender Ahmet Rifat found substitute Ainsley McDonald in the 65th minute but the Sittingbourne stopper made a routine low save.

However, Sittingbourne’s second shot - eight minutes later - almost prevented extra time as good defending from substitute Frankie Webb denied Kayembe.

Richmond sprayed the ball to the Congolese striker down the left and his cross-field pass found strike partner Hicham Akhazzan, who cut in from the right and squared the ball back to Kayembe, who by this time had raced into the penalty area, but his poor shot was comfortably dealt with by Webb on the line, in the middle of the goal.

The home side almost won it late on but Lenahan sent a left-footed curling effort from the edge off the box over Ibrahim’s crossbar at the Summers Lane end of the ground as the sparse crowd of just 71 contemplated an extra thirty minutes.

Thankfully a penalty shoot-out was avoided as Sittingbourne scored the match-winning goal just 199 seconds into extra time.

Richmond swung in a corner from the left and found Bourne at the far post, who easily headed down and past King to complete an amazing turnaround.

But the remainder of extra-time was a tense affair as wave-after-wave of attacks from the home side called the resilient Sittingbourne defence into action.

Ibrahim preserved the lead, tipping over a wild, curling effort from Rifat, wide on the right.

The visitors almost snatched a third on the counter-attack late on when Akhazzan was released down the left but his chip was comfortably saved by King.

But manager Abbott received the “thumbs up” from chairman Andy Spice in the players tunnel during his interview with www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, as they look forward to feeding and drinking hundreds of Dartford supporters in the next round on Saturday, 17th October.

“Obviously it took us the whole off the first half to get started,” Abbott admitted. “Take nothing away from them, we came here and they absolutely played us off the park first half. We hold our hands up to that and it wasn’t before five minutes before the end of the first when we said we had to play that formation to stop them playing.

“Once we sorted that out, the thing is information as well, the information wasn’t good for the first 35-40 minutes.

“They played us off the pitch, fair play to them! I think we were lucky for them to score one goal to be honest. If it was two or three I don’t really think we’d get into it but like I say we’ve had a bit of luck.

“We got a free-kick, Colin Richmond’s great 20-yard free-kick, straight into the top corner, right on half-time.”

Richmond’s timely first goal of the season was definitely a turning point in the tie, and Abbott agreed, saying, “It’s got to be! There’s always turning points in games and the goal from Colin Richmond right on half-time has given the boys a bit of a boost.

“We do work on our free-kicks, and it’s come off tonight.”

On his side's better second half performance, Abbott added, "Second half and extra time I thought we deserved the win over the 120 minutes."

Sittingbourne play Ryman League Division One South games against Horsham YMCA (away on Saturday) and Ramsgate (at Bourne Park next Tuesday) before the visit of Kent giants Dartford, who sent coach Steve Moseley to watch tonight’s encounter.

“I don’t know if the boys’ realise how big a game it was for us tonight,” added Abbott. “We’ve got Dartford now, financially and what a good game it is.

“There’s going to be 500 people there (at Bourne Park), probably minimum because Dartford’s down the road, hopefully there’s more!

“It’s good for the boys, good for me, good for Richard Brady and Andy (Spice), of course. We all know how tight it is at Sittingbourne.

“I would have been sick, I would have been gutted if we didn’t win tonight. Gutted for me, the supporters, and gutted for Andy. He’s putting his money in so he’s doing what we can.

“Tonight we put another couple of grand (prize money) back in there.”

A smiling Abbott continued, “Financially Dartford is a great game and they (my players) don’t realise what a big game that is for us. I know how big it is for us. I’ve played in those games so it’s massive, it’s massive.”

Abbott revealed that he is likely to give Steve Williams his first start of the season or ask a favour from former Cray Wanderers goalkeeper Glen Knight to play against the unbeaten Darts as Ibrahim is the subject of an “agreement” between Darts boss Tony Burman and Abbott.

Abbott explained, “He obviously wants to play, the thing about it is he hasn’t even signed for Dartford so we could be awkward and we could play him. We’ve got an agreement to say he can’t play but he hasn’t signed for Dartford.

“We’ve got an agreement on a player that hasn’t signed for Dartford so really the agreement doesn’t mean a thing on paper but I’m not going to do that.

“That’s what we agreed but we could be awkward and just play him and they couldn’t do a thing about it!

“We’ll try and get Willo (Williams) to play, if not I’ll get Glen Knight in, my mate who I’ve known for years, he’s not doing anything at the moment. I’ll have a chat with Willo first as he’s our (second choice) keeper and I’ll see what he says.”

Wingate & Finchley: Gavin King, Marc Weatherstone (Frankie Webb 68), Daniel Nielson, Jordan Fowler, Craig Ellis (Ainsley McDonald 46), Ahmet Rifat, Michael Lenahan, Marvin Samuel, Leon Smith, James Gershfield, Leon Fisher (Chris Chase 88).
Subs: David Laird, Leon Nelson.

Goals: Nick Reeves 5 (own goal)

Booked: Frankie Webb 96

Sittingbourne: Deren Ibrahim, Femi Omogebehin, Joe Dowley, Matt Bourne, Nick Reeves, Ashley Grant, Billy Manners (Joe Horlock 113), Colin Richmond, Hicham Akhazzan, Elie Kayembe (Jon Neal 84), Jimmy Bottle.
Subs: Richard Brady, Kweke Ansah, Adam Cottrell.

Goals: Colin Richmond 45, Matt Bourne 94

Booked: Joe Dowley 115

Attendance: 71
Referee: Mr Anthony Serrano (Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Jeff Lenthorn (New Eltham, London SE9) & Mr Mark Sarah (London W9)