FA Cup giantkillers Sittingbourne are back on the Road to Wembley this weekend as Ryan Maxwell and his side welcome Sutton Common Rovers to the Staxson Stadium, Woodstock still buzzing from their Tuesday night win at Crabble that sent Dover Athletic crashing out of the Emirates FA Cup. 

Speaking to KSN ahead of the weekend, Maxwell admitted, “Well, what a week that was, what a week!” 

“As tremendous and as high as we all were on Tuesday night, the games are now coming thick and fast! The FA Trophy is a big competition for non-league clubs, it is our FA Cup really, isn’t it? So, we will be approaching Saturday with full focus and as much as we enjoyed Tuesday, we are now fully focused on today and Sutton Common Rovers.” 

“I was asked by another organisation this week about the performance on Tuesday and my answer was it was not too dissimilar to the first game last Saturday only that I thought we played a bit better in the first game.

“The gulf between the two sides was certainly bigger at Woodstock than at Dover but we were the better team on both occasions. But I think that also the most pleasing part for me was that both performances were very, very good in both games.” 

“I am super, super proud of the team! Anyone who was at both games will certainly say that we were the team who deserved to go through.” 

“Before though we can think about Lordswood in the next round next weekend we have Saturday’s Trophy game with Sutton Common and then Tuesday’s important League game with Phoenix Sports both at Woodstock.” 

“If we do not focus completely on both games, I will take full responsibility as it is my job. We cannot have anyone thinking about the next round of the Cup until after Phoenix or we will be punished! And I will make sure and do everything in my power that we as a collective group are fully focused on both games as we cannot afford to not be, it is as simple as that!” 

“We are very well versed this season about being focused game after game and although we have all enjoyed Tuesday night since, it is done now, it is in the history books! But we have more history to be made right in front of us today. Yes, we must turn it on mentally, but we already have it is about having the attitude that yes it was good, but whats next, and that is where we must be come Saturday at 3.00!” 

Following the Brickies securing their first FA Cup Qualifying Round spot since 2015, Sittingbourne go into Saturday’s Trophy game looking to reach the Second Qualifying Round for the fifth straight season.

A run incidentally that is the sum period of their visitors participation in the event where the side from Surrey have lost every game they have played in and bizarrely everyone has been away from home!