After winning through to the last sixteen of the ISUZU FA Trophy last weekend, Sittingbourne are flying at the moment. This weekend they return to League action looking to keep pace with Ramsgate at the top of the South East division as Ryan Maxwell’s side make the relatively short trip to Thamesmead to face Erith Town. 

When we spoke to Maxwell this week, the conversation had nowhere else to start than the Brickies stunning win over National League South Salisbury last Saturday.

“The result and the game was absolutely fantastic,” the Brickies boss told us.

“The players deserve so much credit for the performance, they were brilliant individually and collectively. They were worthy winners and to be fair to the Salisbury officials they agreed and stated that it was a win we deserved, not lucky by any means, and I was extremely proud of the performance as well and I made that very much a requirement that we had to play in a way that when we come of the pitch.

“It says that the performance was number one priority for me and the boys delivered what I call a “Sittingbourne performance”, and they got the rewards. I’m delighted for them and they deserve every bit of credit they are getting this week and it couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch as I have a great set of players.” 

“It was a fantastic day, a fantastic attendance on what was a cold day yet people still came out spending their hard-earned money and we’re all very grateful. I’m sure they got their money’s worth on a historical day for the club – reaching Round Five for the first time ever and a day that they won’t forget!” 

“And the draw for the fifth round was the best draw we could possibly have got from the club’s point of view,” was the managers reaction to coming out with Southend United in the last sixteen, the tie to be played at the Essex sides Roots Hall ground on February 1.

“I have responsibilities at the club, not just from the footballing aspect but also behind the scenes and what I can do to help! From everyone’s point of view behind the scenes, it’s a great draw for us financially, lets be completely up front with that.

“It will be a great day financially and I will let everyone behind the scenes enjoy that and they deserve it! The Chairman (Maurice Dunk) has been at the club god knows how long and has really been working his fingers to the bone in the background on numerous fronts, and people like him really deserve this day and I am so pleased for them because I see what these people put in week after week and what it takes to help run the club, so I am so happy for everyone involved.” 

“From the footballing front, we have been underdogs already on numerous occasions to this point, but this time we will be THE underdogs, extreme underdogs going away to a National League team, it will be difficult but it’s not impossible!” 

“But we have many games before then, five indeed, important League games so we will put it aside for now and focus completely this week on Erith Town and we will discuss Southend as and when!” 

The Brickies face a schedule of five games in fifteen days from the weekend and tour of those they haven’t faced yet this season in the League.

“Odd one, isn’t it?” Maxwell agreed, “it’s strange that we’re in January and we haven’t played Erith, Margate, Lancing or East Grinstead yet in the League, so we will have to make sure that we do our homework and looking at the first one, massive respect to Erith for doing what they have done there in their first season at this level. We know it will be a tough game on a very testing pitch and I’m sure it will be a very different type of game to the one that we had last weekend, but the boys will be prepared for it.” 

“But this is why the League campaign is the hardest as you get thrown up all sorts of types of tests and this will be just another one!” 

“It certainly will be my job that our success last week doesn’t become an issue on Saturday or any other of these next five really important League games.

“For me, I am fully focused on Erith and I am making it very clear to the players that three points in our next League game is our “bread and butter” – this is why they signed for Sittingbourne not to play in the last sixteen of the Trophy, that’s not why anyone signed.

“Saturday is reason that we are all here, I don’t think I have a squad that will be distracted and even if they were, I will not let it happen!”