Sittingbourne’s FA Cup jinx struck again as the Jersey Bulls won their midweek replay with two second half goals.

But the game turned on a decision that if it had happened higher up, would have been labelled by “VAR”! 

With Jersey ahead courtesy of Lorne Bickley’s bundled effort, a dreadful clearance from Jersey keeper Euan van der Vliet went straight to Darnell Kithambo who raced through on the Bulls goal only to be met by the keeper, and as the two clashed, the referee instantly pointed to the spot, and with van der Vliet already having being cautioned for a clumsy challenge outside the box in the first half, looked odds on to receive a second yellow card.

However, the Bulls received a massive stroke of luck as the referee, after a deep and lengthy conversation with an assistant – without a VAR monitor in sight – who in truth was further away from the play than the man with the whistle – Mr Indyk completely reversed his decision and booked the Sittingbourne man for simulation!  

This was tough for the home faithful to take as in Saturday’s first game, the home side had been denied two what looked like clear hand balls from the sidelines. 

The opening half sadly followed the pattern of the dire first game – which was ruined by the conditions – with both sides struggling to create a clear chance.

Bickley was thwarted by an incredible saving tackle from Joe Tyrie as he looked like he’d raced clear of the home defence, whilst for the home side Gabby Piorkowski drilled a shot just too high and after Tyrie’s glancing header, there were loud cries for a home penalty, but referee Indyk waved away the appeal. 

The second period was a completely different spectacle, and the crowd finally were treated to a Cup-tie that had just about everything, including the game changing moment of controversy. 

Alfie Bloomfield glanced a header across the face of the Bulls goal before the deadlock was finally broken – Luke Watson’s free-kick crashed off the Sittingbourne crossbar and as the ball dropped, Bickley, home keeper Bobby Mason and the ball ended up in the net and the goal was given. 

Bickley was only then denied a second shortly after by Mason’s left post before the moment that completely turned the game Jersey’s way, as Kithambo raced through on the Bulls goal only to be “pulled down” by the keeper.

To the naked eye, the keeper was extremely lucky that the referee changed his mind as if he didn’t, surely the giant Jersey topper would have walked and with no reserve keeper in their fourteen-man squad, the advantage and probably the tie, would have been with the home side! 

The fact that Mr Indyk changed his mind then swung the game the Bulls way as they received a massive boost just as the home side had finally got on top! 

To their credit, Sittingbourne piled forward looking for a legal way to level – substitute Josh Osude head straight at the keeper; Toch Singh missed his kick as Osude pulled the ball back; Piorkowski was denied by a magnificent full length save from van der Vliet – it really wasn’t the home side’s night! 

As the Brickies became increasingly attack heavy, the Bulls took advantage of the gaps they left, and Bickley was denied a second by a superb block by keeper Mason and Watson fired inches wide from the edge of the box. 

Bickley though wasn’t to be denied and literally seconds after ten minutes of stoppage time had been signalled, the Bulls number nine raced clear and this time beat Masin from the edge of the box to seal the win and send the Brickies out of the competition meaning that it’s now four years since Sittingbourne last won a tie in the FA Cup… 

SITTINGBOURNE – Mason, Jones, Davidson, Woodward (Singh), Graham, Tyrie (Nolan-Samuel), Goodman, Kithambo (Osude), Piorkowski, Bloomfield, Fischer.

Subs – Curtis-Henry, Theobalds, Tavares, Ayman.

JERSEY BULLS – Van der Vliet, Queree (Barlow), Giles, Sutcliffe, Campbell, Nafkha (Kilshaw), Lequesne (Carvalho), Trotter, Bickley, Watson, Carr.

REFEREE – Mr Indyk