Sittingbourne 1-1 Burgess Hill Town - Burgess Hill played as a team with less pressure on them, with the expectation of us got hold of us tonight but I'm absolutely devastated, says Sittingbourne boss Ryan Maxwell

Sittingbourne 1 – 1 Burgess Hill Town
Location	Woodstock Park, Broadoak Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8AG
Kickoff	02/05/2025 19:45

SITTINGBOURNE  1-1  BURGESS HILL TOWN
(after extra time – Burgess Hill Town win 3-2 on penalties)
Isthmian League South East Division Play-Off Final
Friday 2 May 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Woodstock Park

SITTINGBOURNE manager Ryan Maxwell says he’s feeling devastated after the expectation got hold of his players tonight after missing three penalties in the shoot-out at the end of this Isthmian League South East Division Play-Off Final.

Ben Smith’s Ramsgate claimed the league title by finishing on 109 points (35 wins, four draws and three points), while Sittingbourne completed their campaign on 101 points (31 wins, eight daws and three defeats and unbeaten at home in the league).

Burgess Hill Town were third-placed finishers on 90 points (27 wins, nine draws and six defeats), while Margate finished in fourth-place on 87 points, nine points more than fifth-placed Merstham.

Sittingbourne extended their unbeaten run to nine after beating Merstham 4-2 in Tuesday night’s Play-Off Semi-Final, while Gary Mansell and Jay Lovett’s side defeated Ben Greenhalgh’s Margate 2-0 in Tuesday night’s other Semi-Final.

Sittingbourne striker Mitchell May slotted in his 31^st of the season to give Sittingbourne a first half lead, watched by a record crowd of 1,583 crammed inside Woodstock Park.

Burgess Hill Town dominated for large chunks of the second half and substitute striker Stefan Vukojie drove in his tenth goal of the season with 19 minutes of normal time remaining.

Neither side could find a winner and Burgess Hill Town held their nerve from the penalty spot, as Ade Azeez, Troy Howard and Donveive Jones all missed for Sittingbourne, as Burgess Hill Town claimed a 3-2 penalty shoot-out win to seal promotion into the Isthmian League Premier Division for the first time since 2022, leaving Maxwell a deflated figure during the post-match press conference inside his office.

“First of all, congratulations to Burgess Hill. Anyone that wins a Play-Off Final should be congratulated and I congratulate them and good luck to them next season,” said the 40-year-old Belfast born Maxwell.

“From our point of view, we’re obviously devastated because if you’re not, you’re telling lies. Of course we’re devastated.

“I’m only devastated for the players and the fans and the owners’ that are my friends and I do mean that. I’ve got broad shoulders, I’ll be fine but I’m gutted for my players firstly, because they have given me everything. I’ve asked for everything and they’ve done it.

“It’s been an unbelievable season. We won’t really appreciate that now because we’ve just lost a Play-Off Final on penalties but I do know we’ve had an unbelievable season.

“The points we gathered would’ve been enough to win any other league pretty much but it didn’t. We’ve got to go again in the Play-Offs after having an incredible run in The FA Trophy. It was a bittersweet moment if you like.

“Wow! Well done but you’re not promoted.  We had a fantastic run in the Trophy that will cost you points in the league effectively and you’ll have to go and do it in the play-offs, so a lot of challenges there on top of the highs of those moments too but everything comes at a cost, everything comes at a cost and on the back of that, I already knew that anyway. 

“We had to go down the hard route after losing valuable points after the Trophy run but you can’t have it all, you can’t have it all as a Step Four club, you can’t have it all.

“So somethings got to give, having got to the Final you think you’ve climbed the hurdle, you think you got after that but I thought we looked a little bit leggy. I don’t think we played at all well in comparison to our usual performances.”

The first half was an open affair and Burgess Hill Town created their first opening after nine minutes and 32 seconds, following a well-worked move down the right.

Attacker Chris Whelpdale, wideman Jay Beckford and right-back Hamish Morrison linked up before the ball was worked to the edge of the D where holding midfielder Ryan Worrall lacked composure and drilled his first time right-footed drive high over the crossbar from 22-yards.

Burgess Hill Town doubled up on Ryan Kingsford – who played behind the front two of May and Azeez – before he dinked in a cross towards the back post but seven-goal Azeez knocked his downward header into the ground from inside the six-yard box before the ball was cleared away in the 12^th minute.

Kingsford’s first time dinked pass released Azeez, whose low left-footed shot from 10-yards was cleared off the line by Gillingham loanee, centre-half Logan Dobbs in the 18^th minute.

“I think two in total were off the line but I remember that. It was off the line, very unlucky. It was off the line. It was good defending from their part,” admitted Maxwell.

“It was quite open, too and frow, a bit back and forth, a bit of a basketball game at times.”

Sittingbourne – who scored 117 goals in the League this season – smashed the stalemate by taking the lead with 33 minutes and 19 seconds on the clock.

Goalkeeper Roco Rees played the ball to centre-half Liam Smith, who travelled  to the half-way line before hitting a long ball into the right-hand corner of the Burgess Hill Town penalty area.

Visiting goalkeeper Slavomir Huk moved off his line and then stopped and was beaten at his near-post as May swept a left-footed shot into the bottom near corner from 17-yards with a clinical strike.

“Yes, we took the lead, but we didn’t look our usual dynamic self and got in at half-time 1-0 up,” said Maxwell.

“It was a good ball, good finish. Mitch ls a great finisher and yes sent us on our way.

“He’s a quality player, still learning all the time, still growing into his frame. A great return, there’s more to come from Mitch.”

Burgess Hill Town were not causing any threat in the first half and left-back Bobby Price charged through Anthony Church before his left-footed shot from 20-yards was comfortably caught by Rees, stepping to his left and catching the ball at head height.

Burgess Hill Town’s best chance of the first half arrived 16 seconds into stoppage time.

Price sprayed the ball out to left-winger Martyn Box, who cut inside Jones and put in a cross into the box.  Ben Pope rose inside the box to flick the ball on and former Brickie’, Beckford, got around the back and found space to flash his right-footed angled drive across the keeper and just past the foot of the far post from 15-yards.

When asked for his thoughts at the break, Maxwell replied: “Just that we can play better. We need to try not play the occasion and get back to doing what we do best.

“I just felt as if we looked a little bit tense, a little bit jaded almost tonight, maybe the occasion and the expectation.

“We’re unbeaten here (in the league) and such a tag. I felt as if we looked a little bit nervy. If it wasn’t nerves, tension because that’s not the free-flowing team that we are.”

Burgess Hill Town upped their tempo during the second half and their management duo made attacking substitutions that made the difference, while Sittingbourne’s changes were more defensive.

Maxwell reported post-match that he lost two players to knee injuries in the shape of substitute Luke Woodward and left-back Bagasan Graham.

“I felt as if we needed to make an adjustment, certainly didn’t help when we’re having players going down with quite serious injuries.  A sub (Woodward) for a sub comes on and is injured, has to come off. Captain (Graham) goes down injured but these aren’t excuses, they’re just facts. That’s what happened but it doesn’t distract from the fact that Burgess Hill was playing the better football, without causing problems in the final area.

“Maybe a lack of pressure from them. They’re coming to a place where no one’s beaten us at in the league. There’s no pressure on Burgess Hill to come here and win and that’s the truth, so I felt as though they played like that. They played as a team with less pressure on them, with the expectation of us got hold of us tonight I felt but I’m absolutely devastated.  As I’ve said, I’m devastated for the players and the fans.”

Sittingbourne sat back and invited pressure on to them and Burgess Hill spent most of the second half playing on the front foot.

“Sometimes you have to concede you’re not playing well, so if you go and attack them, you’ll get exposed,” explained Maxwell, who will look back on tonight with regret.

“I just knew it wasn’t happening tonight, so I accepted it wasn’t going to be our night in terms of our usual style of play and everything else and decided to ride it out with a different shape and ultimately it worked, despite losing players injured.

“We had to keep putting a square peg in a round hole but the boy’s character is unbelievable.  They accept they weren’t playing well either and just grafted and grafted.

“It also probably accepted they were going to get to penalties and we’ll be at it, to have a chance to win it.”

Price got into the left-channel and put over a cross towards the near post for 12-goal striker Pope, who steered his header over from eight-yards in the 66^th minute.

Sittingbourne hit Burgess Hill Town on a two-v-two counter-attack (24:45) when Azeez charged past Worrall in midfield and released May down the right and his shot was comfortably caught by Huk, as he charged off his line.

However, Burgess Hill Town deservedly equalised with 25 minutes and 31 seconds on the clock.

Central midfielder Kieran Rowe used the outside of his boot from the edge of the box, forcing Rees to dive to his right to palm the ball away, only as far as the impressive Vukojie, who placed his left-footed shot across the keeper to find the bottom far corner.

Maxwell said: “Ultimately, we just nearly scored at the other end and we had to get back pretty quick. We didn’t get back properly in shape quick enough. Although it was saved, it’s come out to their (striker), who wasn’t marked tight enough and he’s kind of finished it, not a bad finish but we weren’t tight enough.”

Alex Brewer – who came on for 38-year-old former Gillingham man Chris Whelpdale – who appeared to be suffering from a knee injury during the first-half – was guilty of a glorious miss in the 79^th minute.

Worrall hit a low pass in behind Jones to put Morrison in behind and he cut the ball back from the right-by-line and Brewer somehow failed to score from close to the goal-line.

When asked whether he could remember such a chance for the away side, Maxwell replied: “Just about. It’s a bit of a fog, but just about, I think so. A big chance. A little bit of fog at the moment, you have to excuse me.

“I thought they were probably playing the better football, although they weren’t hurting us, they were still probing than what we were.  They were definitely looking more dangerous than we were.”

Price cut in from the left and put over a cross towards the far post where Box cracked his left-footed volley across the Sittingbourne keeper and past the far post from 15-yards, as dominant Burgess Hill Town kept knocking on the door.

With Sittingbourne’s players suffering with tiredness, Burgess Hill Town created one further chance (52:11) following their third corner of the game.

Box floated the ball in from the right and Vukojie knocked his header past the near-post but they couldn’t find the winner during 10 minutes and 8 seconds of stoppage time.

Burgess Hill Town created the first chance of extra-time in the ninth minute when Rowe fed striker Vukojie, who beat a couple of Sittingbourne players before his low left-footed shot was parried by Rees, diving to his left.

Troy Howard – who came on in the 88^th minute - put the ball into the Burgess Hill Town penalty area and Smith (who finished the game as a holding midfielder) smacked his first time shot over the crossbar from 15-yards just 45 seconds later.

Smith drove towards the edge of the Burgess Hill Town penalty area but his shot from 20-yards lacked power and rolled into the gloves of the 32-year-old former Chatham Town goalkeeper, just 13 seconds into the second period.

Box then put in the away side’s final corner of the tie and Nathan Cooper came up from the back and rose at the near-post but his header bounced and was comfortably gathered by Rees, before the ball could bounce into the far corner, 99 seconds into the second period.

Dobbs delivered a free-kick into the final third and Vukojie cracked a right-footed shot on the turn from 25-yards over the Sittingbourne crossbar, as Burgess Hill Town were the side more likely to win this contest.

Sittingbourne should have snatched the victory (15:28) on the counter-attack, however.

Substitute Funsho Sinai broke down the middle before releasing Jones charging down the right and he put it on a plate for Howard, who went to pieces inside the box, placing his left-footed shot across the keeper and past the far post from 16-yards.

“We had one chance second half, didn’t we, on the break.  Troy has been in such fine form this season. I really felt he would score but he didn’t and that was our only main chance,” added Maxwell.

“They gave their all. They had to because we’re now at this point playing people out of position, people were hanging in. We’ve got injuries etc but they did give their all as they always have and they got through to penalties.”

The penalties were taken in front of hundreds of noisy Sittingbourne fans but Burgess Hill Town held their nerve, while Sittingbourne - who were supposed to follow Ramsgate into the seventh-tier of English football - crumbled under the pressure.

Brewer stepped up first and rifled his right-footed penalty into the roof of the net, as the Sittingbourne goalkeeper dived to his right.

Smith levelled for Sittingbourne with an emphatic right-footed penalty into the top left-hand corner.

Burgess Hill Town’s 111^th minute substitute Brannon O’Neill sent Rees the wrong way, sweeping his left-footed penalty into the right hand side of the goal.

Sittingbourne’s holding midfielder Richard Hamill sent the keeper the wrong way with his left-footed penalty to make it 2-2 after four spot-kicks.

The next two spot-kicks were missed.  Despite impressing up front for Burgess Hill, Vukojie went to pieces, hitting his right-footed penalty against the crossbar, while Huk got a strong right-hand to Azeez’s right-footed penalty straight down the middle.

Burgess Hill Town went 3-2 up through Rowe’s right-footed penalty placed into the left-hand corner, sending Rees the wrong way.

Howard couldn’t cope with his pressure penalty, smashing his right-footed kick against the crossbar, the centre of the goal.

Box lost composure when he lashed his left-footed penalty high and wide of the target.

Sittingbourne right-back Jones cracked his right-footed penalty against the crossbar as Burgess Hill Town’s fans ran on to the pitch to celebrate winning promotion with their players’, who deserved to win this game on the night.

“Penalties it was, unfortunately it wasn’t to be.  Yes, it’s difficult, it’s difficult. Ade’s was saved, Donny’s hit the bar, Troy hit the bar. I feel for them because – albeit the bar’s not the target as such, it’s not blazed high and wide or wide of the post.  I feel for him. We’re talking inches here,” said Maxwell, who revealed his players practiced penalties during last night’s training session.

“We done a little bit last night, but nothing really creates the moment, I’m afraid I think because everyone tucked them away last night, no problem but the moment changes, a little bit of tension, a little bit of second guessing and the end result was a miss.

“Tough, tough to decide your season, a spot-kick from 12-yards but it’s part of the game. It’s part of the game we’ve all known since we were kids’. It’s not going to change any time soon.

“It’s cruel because it’s an unfair reflection of your season but there’s not many other better ways to settle it, I’m afraid. It is what it is.

“They’re very deflated (in the dressing room). Some of the boys are pretty upset by it, which I’ll be gutted, I’ll be questioning if they weren’t but they’re certainly upset, gutted and I’ve said to them they’ll have to have that bouncebackability, a thicker skin. It will hurt for a number of days but we will have to come through it, there’s no other option.

“Most people who know me, I’m a strong character and it takes very little to derail me, this certainly won’t.

“I’m absolutely gutted for the people around me. I’m not gutted for me. I’ll take it right on the chin and learn from it and get better from it but I’m just gutted for the people that are so good to me and just the people at this club.

“I love them to bits, they’re really good people, I really do and I wanted it so much for them and the players are phenomenal and I wanted it for them, so it is a case of getting back the drawing board very quickly. I will be going very quickly, not to sound cold but probably the next couple of days and get to work.

“I actually thanked (my players) for everything that they’ve done for me and given me this year. I couldn’t have asked for anymore. Lady luck didn’t shine upon us tonight but I’m certainly not going to point fingers at my players, they’re unbelievable, they’re a special bunch.”

When asked about the fantastic support that their fans have given them both tonight and during the course of the campaign, Maxwell said: “I’m so proud of that. When I came here there were 125 people against Whitehawk and I remember it well and to have a sell-out there, we’ve come a long way, we’ve come a long way.

“We were third bottom when I came here and we’ve finished second this season and finished Quarter-Finals in The FA Trophy and that’s the reality in a two and a bit year turnaround and to pack this place out. I’m unbelievably proud of that because it shows the growth and it shows the potential here as well.”

Sittingbourne: Roco Rees, Donvieve Jones, Bagasan Graham (Troy Howard 88), Richard Hamill, Liam Smith, Chris Arthur, Anthony Church (Luke Woodward 56, Jack Steventon 86)), Ayman El-Mogharbel, Mitchell May (Funsho Sinai 80), Ade Azeez, Ryan Kingsford (Henry Lukombo 61).

Goal: Mitchell May

Booked: Anthony Church 53, Ade Azeez 63, Ryan Maxwell 82 (manager), Ayman El-Mogharbel 90, Jack Steventon 96, Liam Smith 115

Burgess Hill Town: Slavomir Huk, Hamish Morrison, Bobby Price (Reggie Ward 83), Ryan Worrall (Harry Lawson 102), Nathan Cooper, Logan Dobbs, Martyn Box, Kieran Rowe, Ben Pope (Stefan Vukojie 69), Chris Whelpdale (Alex Brewer 56), Jay Beckford (Brannon O’Neill 111).

Goal: Stefan Vukojie 69

Booked: Ben Pope 64, Kieran Rowe 93, Harry Lawson 113, Brannon O’Neill 120

Attendance: 1,583
Referee: Mr Joshua Evans
Assistants: Mr Tom Lathey & Mr Luke Burford
Fourth Official: Mr Jake Woodman