One of the standout games in the First Qualifying Round of the Emirates FA Cup this weekend from a Kent perspective sends Isthmian Premier side Dover Athletic to the Staxson Stadium, Woodstock to play Sittingbourne of the South East division. 

“Saturday is a big game for us all at Sittingbourne,” Brickies boss Ryan Maxwell told us. “It’s a cracker and is a massive tie for both clubs and it is going to be a very competitive game.” 

“Dover are a good side and Jake (Leberl) has done well with the side that he has assembled, they have started the season very, very well. Coming down from the National League South last year, it can be difficult sometimes to stem the tide, but he’s done that and made his side very competitive for which he must take credit.” 

“Saturday is going to be a tough, tough game for us against some very good players who are scoring goals quite freely. It is going to be a great tie that we are all looking forward to.” 

Reflecting on the Brickies Bank Holiday weekend, Maxwell admitted, “We had a mixed weekend. I was disappointed with the Ramsgate game because of the manner we conceded the goals!

“For the majority of the first half, I was extremely pleased with us, it was just a terrible start. You cannot go to Ramsgate and not start well, we did and found ourselves behind very quickly. But credit to the lads they gathered themselves and played some great football to ourselves go 2-1 up! Still puzzled why we did not start the second half correctly find ourselves 3-2 down with minutes.” 

“We must learn from that quickly, the positives were that we played some great football and scored two very good goals, and I know that this team is capable of that which makes it really, really frustrating that we did not tighten up at the right time and at crucial times!” 

“Taking that into Monday and Ashford, albeit we went one nil down, we were very good until they scored and then we were every bit as good if not better afterwards.

“It looked like only a matter of time, but we came in behind, stick to our principles, stick to what we were doing showing the strength of character and discipline to do so and believe in it and eventually it turned good in the end with a very comfortable 3-1 win.” 

After losing out to Three Bridges in the play-offs at the end of last season, the question was asked by some, how the Brickies would respond at the start of this.

“We have had a tough start on paper,” the Sittingbourne boss admitted.

“Broadbridge finished in great form last season, kept a lot of the players but we run out 5-0 winners. We then faced a team in Farnham who had not been beaten in forty-nine League games off the back of an unbeaten promotion, it was a terrible fixture for us on paper away from home but we beat them too.

The Ramsgate game last Saturday is the only bitter taste in my mouth at the moment! When Ashford are tipped to be right up there as well, and we have dominated them winning 3-1 so overall we have had a good start.”