Home Sittingbourne Sport Article
FA Trophy first round weekend round-up as Sittingbourne win 2-0 at 10-man Dover Athletic; Chatham Town and Folkestone Invicta both secure away victories
20:40, 26 October 2024
Sittingbourne were victorious at higher-division Kent rivals Dover - again - in the FA Trophy first round on Saturday.
Jake Leberl’s Isthmian Premier leaders, who handed a debut to Claudio Boakye-Sarfo as he replaced the injured Mitch Walker between the sticks, found themselves reduced to 10 men at Crabble in the 15th minute when defender Roman Charles-Cook was red-carded.
Ryan Maxwell’s men went ahead in the 38th minute when in-form forward Mitchell May finished off a well-worked move and teenage midfielder Codey Cosgrave’s free-kick wrapped things up in the Brickies’ 2-0 win.
It is the first time Sittingbourne have made the second round since 1998.
They also had knocked Dover out of the FA Cup at the first qualifying round stage at the start of last month, earning a 1-0 replay victory at Crabble after a 2-2 draw at Woodstock.
Chatham got the better of former manager James Collins as they progressed to the second round in Essex.
Chats captain Jack Evans got the game’s only goal with a penalty in first-half stoppage time before home defender Dexter Peter was also red-carded prior to the interval.
The game saw defender Valckx Fernandes, who joined the Medway club last month from Bowers & Pitsea, make a substitute appearance against his former team.
A goal-of-the-month contender from midfielder Eze Ebuzoeme capped off Isthmian Premier Folkestone’s 3-0 win at Southern League Central division side Barton Rovers.
The substitute thumped home in emphatic fashion late on after striker Tom Derry had netted a goal in either half.
Isthmian South East outfit Ashford United lost on penalties at Isthmian Premier Lewes after a 2-2 draw.
They were two goals to the good - through an own goal and forward Gary Lockyer’s effort - but the home side struck twice in the final 10 minutes to force a shootout, which Lewes edged 8-7.
Cray Valley ended on the wrong side of a seven-goal game at Isthmian North Brentwood Town.
Experienced midfielder Danny Waldren, forward Freddie Parker and winger Fumnaya Shomotun, who recently made his loan switch from Tonbridge a permanent one, got the goals for Steve McKimm’s men.