Sittingbourne are through to the Second Round Proper of the FA Trophy for the first time in a quarter of a century courtesy of goals from Mitch May and Codey Cosgrave as Dover Athletic were dumped out of another competition by the Brickies. 

After Troy Howards goal was enough to beat Dover in the FA Cup, the two were paired together in the FA Trophy but this time the Brickies travelled to face a team in form and one that had gone top of the Isthmian Premier.

But after the early sending-off of full back Roman Charles-Cook for an ugly looking challenge on Jay Beckford, the game developed into a real cat-and-mouse affair especially after Mitch May had walked the Brickies in front with his seventh goal in three games after Ryan Kingsford was able to divert Beckford’s blocked effort into his strike partners path.

When Codey Cosgrave doubled the lead with a sumptuous free-kick ten minutes from time, the double “shock” was secure and the Brickies through. 

Not that the ten men didn’t give it their all and quite how Brickies skipper Liam Smith cleared a shot off the line with his knee almost immediately after May’s open is beyond belief. 

Dover was dealt a blow below kick-off when skipper and keeper Mitch Walker was ruled out meaning a call up for Claudio Boakye-Sarfo who started pre-season at Woodstock. 

Before many people had settled, referee D’Urso had sent Charles-Cook for an early bath after flying into Beckford, and that was after Dover had the first two chances of the game with Luke Baptiste having a shot blocked by Donvieve Jones and George Nikaj fired straight at Harley Earle. 

The sending off meant a reshuffle for the home side and whilst they were reorganising, a stretching May couldn’t divert the ball away from the keeper as the Brickies looked to take advantage. Ayman El-Moghargel’s industry in midfield along Cosgrave suddenly had a bit more room and it was El-Mogharbel who twice went close but he will probably be disappointed not to have tested the keeper. 

The Brickies eventually found a way through seven minutes from half time as Beckford’s shot was kept out by a combination of defender and keeper and Kingsford smuggled the ball onto May who walked the ball into the empty net. 

On the stroke of half time, the most amazing goal-line clearance from Brickies keeper Smith kept his side ahead – Nikaj struck a tremendous angled drive beyond Earle and with the ball seemingly destined for the top corner, Smith timed his jump to perfection and somehow his left knee was able to deflect the ball onto the bar and away to safety. 

The home spent long spells during the second period chasing the game – Nikaj curled a chance that Earle did really well to save and the same player then glanced a header inches wide from an Alfie Matthews free-kick. 

Boakye-Sarfo then seemed to pull off a really good save to deny May, only for referee D’Urso to give a free-kick and then in Dover’s next attack, from a corner, Earle tipped over a fierce header but yet again, the referee gave a goal-kick – definitely not a member of the keeper’s union! 

The game was settled ten minutes from time as Cosgrave’s stunning free-kick flew into Dovers’s net sparking wide scenes of celebrations behind the goal in the good number of travelling Brickies as the Second-Round proper was reached for just the second time ever. 

DOVER ATHLETIC – Boakye-Sarfo, Charles-Cook, Sesay, Tennent (Mampolo), Cocoracchio (Gyebi), Baptiste, Matthews, Soares-Junior, Pont (Eniye Amgbaduba), Wilkinson (Tamas AmgBaduba) 

Sub – Young 

SITTINGBOURNE – Earle, Jones, Lukombo, El-Mogharbel, Smith, Arthur, Howard (Sinai), Cosgrave (Steventon), May (Martin), Kingsford (Boachie), Beckford (Graham) 

REFEREE – Mr. D’Urso 

Images courtesy of Paul Golding