Staines Town 4-1 Sittingbourne - We're disapointed that we haven't got a draw, admits Matt Wyatt

STAINES TOWN  4-1  SITTINGBOURNE
The FA Cup with Budweiser Third Qualifying Round
Saturday 12^th October 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Wheatsheaf Lane

SITTINGBOURNE joint-manager Matt Wyatt says his side deserved a second bite of the cherry against clinical Staines Town, who progress to the last qualifying round of The FA Cup.

The result was harsh on Sittingbourne who more than matched their Skrill (Conference) South opponents, who scored from four of their eight shots on target.

Striker Louie Theophanous collected his Skrill South player-of-the-month award before the game and he cracked a beautiful 30-yard screamer into the top left-hand corner from 30-yards to give Staines Town the lead.

But Sittingbourne deservedly equalised through Tom Loynes, before a fine solo run and finish from man-of-the-match Stephane Ngamvoulou on the stroke of half-time killed off the Brickies.

Staines Town, who have won all five of their home games before today, scored twice in the final eleven minutes to give them a flattering 4-1 victory, through Huw Johnson’s 30-yard screamer and substitute Oluwole Akinsanya late fourth.

“I think to be perfectly honest with you, we’ve done really well today,” said a proud Wyatt in the post-match press conference.

“I thought when we were passing the ball I thought that we’re probably arguably, sometimes the better team.

“We had a game plan. I think everyone who’s watched the game plan today can see that we’re a good side.  We got about them.”

Wyatt added: “I thought arguably on another day with a little bit of lady luck we could have even got a replay.

“The players’ gave us absolutely everything. They’re a credit to the club.”

Sittingbourne handed goalkeeper Jack Smelt, 23, his debut.  He came in for suspended Adam Molloy, who was red-carded during the 2-1 win at Ryman Premier League Thamesmead Town in the last round two weeks ago.

Wyatt explained why the club’s longest serving player, Hicham Akhazzan (250 starts/49 substitute appearances and 78 goals) was missing from the eighteen-man squad at Wheatsheaf Lane.

He said: “He had a health scare yesterday.  Hicham was sent home from work. He collapsed at work or fainted and he went to hospital. It’s an irregular heartbeat.  He couldn’t play today. He’s got a scan with his GP on Monday so we’ll find out more about that.  He might be fit for a week or he could be out for the rest of the season or his football career may be over.”

Sittingbourne enjoyed playing on the pristine playing surface and their performance was vastly improved from their 5-1 home defeat to Whitstable Town in The FA Trophy Preliminary Round last weekend.

Sittingbourne created the first chance of the game inside the opening five minutes when impressive Loynes made progress down the right before playing a one-two with Joe Taylor before drilling a speculative right-footed angled drive past the near post.

A fine save from Smelt denied Staines Town a goal from their first chance inside seventeen minutes.

A clearance from Sittingbourne central defender George Crimmen was charged down by Staines Town striker Louis-Rae Beadle some 35-yards from goal and the striker burst into the penalty area and Smelt blocked high to his right to prevent the striker scoring with a rasping right-footed drive from a narrow angle from ten-yards.

Smelt got the nod ahead off Sean Bazell for today’s game.

“I thought Jack Smelt was absolutely superb,” said Wyatt.

“We tried to get a goalkeeper with experience. Jack Smelt done very well in training the other night so did Sean in fairness but we just felt that for a big game like this Jack’s got a bit more experience behind him and he done very well. We’re very happy with him.”

Wyatt, however, declined to answer who will be in goal for their trip to newly-promoted Peacehaven & Telscombe back in the Ryman League on Wednesday night.

Nick Davis, Sittingbourne’s player-joint-manager and captain, peeled away from his marker inside the penalty area but his header sailed harmlessly wide after Loynes drilled in a corner from the right.

But Staines Town opened the scoring when they hit Sittingbourne on the counter-attack in the 23^rd minute.

Big and powerful central midfielder Ngamvoulou won possession inside the Staines Town half and kept possession on a 50-yard run before playing the ball to Johnson who played the ball into Beadle, who cut the ball back to an unmarked Theophanous, who cracked a first-time right-footed screamer into the top left-hand corner from 30-yards.

“They scored a wonder goal for the first goal,” said Wyatt.

“If you’re being over critical you can turn round and say we should have gone with the runner. He was in possession of the ball and we’ve given it away. They’re a good side and they scored a good goal.”

But Sittingbourne, who have knocked out Chessington & Hook United, Littlehampton Town and Thamesmead Town en-route to this round, were not going to give up without a fight and they equalised only 206 seconds after going a goal behind.

The Brickies were awarded a free-kick just outside the penalty area on the left hand side and Nick Dunsdon – who protected the back four during the first half alongside Nick Treadwell – whipped in a free-kick across goal and Loynes hooked a right-footed shot from 12-yards underneath the diving goalkeeper for the ball to trickle over the line.

Wyatt said: “We’ve come back. We got straight back into the game.

“We’ve looked at things and we’ve worked at things and I thought it was a good goal.

“We’ve been threatening to do things like this and we’re not a bad team on our day.”

Staines Town were dangerous down the left and Theophanous seemed destined to score following a three-man move but Smelt came out to smother the shot.

Sittingbourne striker Ryan Golding, who started the game on the bench, should have given his side the lead just past the half-hour mark.

The impressive Taylor raced forward before playing the ball into Golding, who dragged his right-footed angled drive miles wide of the far post.

But Staines Town received a massive slice of luck when the crossbar prevented Sittingbourne going into the half-time break with a deserved lead.

Smelt launched the ball forward and Treadwell flicked the ball on for Taylor, who cut inside onto his right foot before stroking a right-footed curler, which looked destined to curl into the top far corner of the net – but the ball bounced agonisingly against the top of the crossbar.

“Joe’s got that in his locker,” said Wyatt, whose side didn’t play like there were 58 teams between the two clubs, especially during the first half.

“On another day, they’ve had two wonder strikes and two of them have gone in. We’ve had two good strikes. One’s gone one side of the post and one’s hit the crossbar so we could be standing here now and saying we’ve had a great result, a two-all (draw and a) replay.”

The game took a sick twist of fate because Staines Town grabbed the lead against the run of play just 43 seconds later.

Ngamvoulou picked the ball up close to the edge of the centre circle, cut open the Sittingbourne defence with a penetrating run and from sixteen-yards slid the ball into the bottom right-hand corner with a stroked right-footed shot.

Staines Town went into the break with an undeserved 2-1 lead – notching a 50% strike rate from their four attempts at goal.

The home club’s sponsors awarded their man-of-the-match award to Johnson but Wyatt said: “Their four (Ngamvoulou), who I thought was probably their best player, ran all the way through and scored a good goal. 

“To be honest with you, we’re disappointed to come in at half-time 2-1 down because I don’t think we deserved it!”

When asked whether the goal changed his half-time team talk, Wyatt replied: “It didn’t change the team talk because we still wanted to be in the game.  Disappointing with the goal we’ve given away, of course, we’re disappointed but at the end of the day we’re highly delighted with the way the players’ played today.

“Second half our game plan was to still be in the game with fifteen minutes to go and again I thought they had quite a bit more possession second half but I thought clear cut chances, I thought we had a shout for a penalty to be perfectly honest with you when the ball’s been knocked in by (Connor) Coyne and Golding’s come round the back. I thought he’s been pulled personally.”

Crimmen sent a towering header sailing harmlessly wide of the target after Loynes swung in a corner from the right. 

Sittingbourne failed to replicate their first half performance in the second half, but they remained competitive up until the final 20 minutes.

They produced a sweeping move from left to right and forced Staines Town goalkeeper Kyle Merson to make a save, 121 seconds into the second half.

Left-back Ashley Ulph played the ball into the middle to Treadwell to sprayed the ball out to the right for Taylor, who was given time and space to drill a low right-footed drive from 35-yards, which was turned around the post by the diving keeper.

And at the other end, Smelt made a comfortable low save to his left to prevent former Bromley striker Theophanous from scoring with a left-footed angled drive from 25-yards.

Seven Sittingbourne players were involved in a half-chance in the 63^rd minute which finally saw Treadwell tee up right-back Tom Brunt, whose right-footed shot from 22-yards deflected wide of the right-hand post.

Marcus Gayle’s side upped their tempo in the final twenty minutes and finished brave Sittingbourne off.

Ashley Lodge, Beadle and Ngamvoulou linked up well down the right before the ball was swept out to Theophanous down the left who cut the ball back to Ngamvoulou, who played the ball outside to Johnson, who cracked a quality left-footed screamer across Smelt into the top far corner from 30-yards with eleven minutes remaining.

Not even the best goalkeeper in the world could prevent Staines Town scoring their first and third goals.

Wyatt agreed and said: “Their guy’s scored a wonder goal, an absolute superb goal. He’s cut in, he’s hit it left-foot.  They’ve hit two brilliant strikes.”

Smelt made another fine low save to thwart Johnson scoring with a low left-footed drive after he initially chipped the ball over the Sittingbourne back-line from the edge of the box to Theophanous.

Staines Town scored a flattering fourth goal 58 seconds into stoppage time at the end of the game.

Substitute Bajram Pashaj played the ball out to right-back Erivaldo Felix on the overlap, who whipped in the ball towards the near post where substitute Oluwole Akinsanya rifled his right-footed shot into the top near corner from eight-yards.

Wyatt added: “We’ve gone three up with fifteen minutes to go and they’ve hit us on the break to lose 4-1.”

Sittingbourne can be proud of their efforts – they were not disgraced and the game was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests.

Wyatt said: “I think you’ve seen the nine (Theophanous), who’s just got Conference South player-of-the-month – we’ve kept him quiet in fairness.  We’ve done alright. They’ve hit two wonder strikes.

“I said to the lads in the dressing room, not being rude or disrespectful to them, on another day Joe Taylor’s effort can go in and we could be talking about having a two-all draw here. I thought we played very well.

“We’ve worked very hard as a team and a unit today. I thought every player done very well today so highly delighted.”

Wyatt though the pitch at Staines Town – which is also used by Chelsea in the Women’s Super League – helped Sittingbourne to impress.

He said: “I’ve been involved in Ryman Premiership, Conference teams before and the way we want to play football is to get the ball on the pitch and I think sometimes it’s not surprising to us that Staines and Thamesmead have been two of our better performances and all I’ve got to say on that matter, look at the pitches we’re playing on.”

Speculation, meanwhile, grows that Golding’s future may be away from Sittingbourne soon - despite scoring six goals for the club this season.

The former Crockenhill striker hasn’t rediscovered last season’s form and appeared to be disinterested as his team-mates battled for the cause.

When asked his thoughts on Golding’s performance, Wyatt said: “Ryan’s a part of the squad. Ryan done well like every other play done today. I don’t want to talk about individual players. We picked a team today to hopefully win a game of football.  Ryan came on and he did ok but I don’t really want to be talking about individual players what they did or what happened there because I thought it was a very good team performance.”

But Wyatt was full of praise for the club’s travelling fans – housed in the covered terracing behind the dug-outs - who gave their side excellent vocal support throughout.

“I can’t thank the fans enough. The fans were absolutely brilliant today.  They supported us really well and were a credit to the club.”

Reflecting on their FA Cup run, which has seen the club scoop a much-needed £9,245 in prize money, Wyatt said: “We’ve picked up some money, very good. Everyone now will say that Sittingbourne work hard as a unit and are a half decent footballing side. We didn’t try to kick the ball or hump the ball. We tried to get it down and that’s what we tried to do.

"Remember we're coming to a team that's not lost a home game all season and are two division's above us and we're disappointed that we're standing here that we haven't got a draw."

Staines Town: Kyle Merson, Erivaldo Felix, Jordaan Brown, Stephane Ngamvoulou (Bajram Pashaj 85), Lewis Ferrell, Jerel Ifil, Ashley Lodge, Huw Johnson, Louie Theophanous, Louis-Rae Beadle (Oluwole Akinsanya 80), Max Worsfold (Troy Ferguson 67).
Subs: Emmanuel Akokhia, Jack Turner, Scott Taylor, Sanchez Ming

Goals: Louie Theophanous 23, Stephane Ngamvoulou 45, Huw Johnson 79, Oluwole Akinsanya 90

Sittingbourne: Jack Smelt, Tom Brunt, Ashley Ulph, Nick Davis, George Crimmen, Nick Dunsdon, Joe Taylor, Luke Girt, Tom Loynes (Connor Coyne 71), Nick Treadwell (Hassan Jalloh 85), Anthony John (Ryan Golding 29).
Subs: Sam Hayes, Olumi Delapite, Reece Crimmen, Sean Bazell

Goal: Tom Loynes 26

Attendance: 357
Referee: Mr Simon Knapp (Mangotsfield, Bristol, Avon)
Assistants: Mr Adam Penwell (Weston-super-Mare, Somerset) & Mr Christopher Kidd (Bicester, Oxfordshire)