Sittingbourne boss Ryan Maxwell has been talking following his side’s defeat in the Isuzu FA Trophy to neighbours Sheppey United, and the Brickies boss wasn’t a happy man when he spoke to KSN.

“I’m disappointed for everyone at the Club,” he told us. “We started quite well and had one off the line early on. But then we did not stay on the front foot, and we let them come into the game which they really did!”

“We expected that with them being at home, but we were not good after the first ten minutes or so which is very disappointing.” 

“Having said that, it wasn’t the reason we came in one nil down and that was because potentially not making a substitution because we were being cautious not making the decision quickly.” 

Sheppey went ahead with Sittingbourne down to ten men as Donvieve Jones was being treated off the pitch after colliding with an advertising board, “looking back now being treated off the pitch has cost us the goal and it’s something that we have to learn from!” 

“I will take responsibility first because I could have intervened, I am sure, but was also cautious that he was getting treatment, so we all must learn from that as a collective.”

“We could have done much better for the goal on at least two occasions and that was not good enough. To be fair, they probably deserved it and then of course you concede again not long after giving the team a real tongue lashing at half-time.”

“It was a good ball in, but it has bounced on our six-yard line and bounced right in the path of the guy who scored!” 

“That made it two-nil and we then decided to start playing and the substitutions, all three of them, make an impact.”

“We got back into the game and at 2-1 we had the great opportunity to level scores, the lob just too high from Javaun (Splatt) and then Mitchell May’s hit one that the keeper’s plucked out of the top corner.”

“I think at that point a draw was edging towards a fair result despite how poor we were in the first half.” 

“It was a disappointing to take but lots to dissect as management, as players and a group as a whole.”

“There’s things that can be ratified and will certainly be fixed pretty quickly, or will need to be, but a lack of maturity certainly cost us and that is something that we will have to reign down on very quickly!” 

Maxwell bemoaned missing striker Chris Harris who was best man at a friend’s wedding. “He’s been tremendous for us and if Chrissy Harris plays, we win the game simple as that!”

“He’s a massive influence and we were a little bit reserved in the approach as he was not playing, we were apprehensive about it, but it is a squad game, and everyone should perform better than that!” 

“With all due respect to every team in the League, I fancy us home or away and would always fancy us if we perform. The players were given instructions beforehand and they did not follow them first half and the complete difference in performance between the first and second half was the fact that they went back to doing exactly what they were asked to do.”

“The players that came on followed the instructions a lot better than the players they replaced on the day and that then got us a foothold and onto the front foot with the advantages that it did in the game.”

“It was not rocket science and that is the disappointing thing, it was just about following your instructions and football is all about doing as you have been asked and playing within your systems and structure and your role within it.”

“When you do not do it, you do not get anything and when you do it you come in the better side. It is all about carrying out your role and I really hope the penny has dropped as there’s no second chance now for some players, that is it from me; they have had their opportunities, and we are what we are.”

“We either fix it last Saturday and we show we have fixed it this Saturday at Sevenoaks, or there will be a couple of new Brickies in the squad!” 

“There’s no doubt that I learned a lot about the players on Saturday, I have always learned more in a game like this that was two halves. I have learned and reflected on our management as well and I can tell you that if we get another head injury, I will be quicker to make the decision.”

“And when players are not following instructions and it’s more than one or two, changes will be made regardless of whether it is the first half or not because we cannot waste half a match like we did on Saturday.”

“I have certainly learned who responded in the second half and I took a lot away from Saturday.” 

Images courtesy of Paul Golding