After a titanic battle in the Isuzu FA Trophy, Sittingbourne won through to the Third Round for the first time in the clubs’ history with a penalty shoot-out win over Southern Premier side Winchester City. 

The Brickies were unfortunate to be a goal down at the break after a first half that ebbed and flowed, but gave no clues of the incredible second period that was to follow. With home keeper Luke Cairney having the afternoon of his life as he almost single handedly repelled Ryan Maxwells side in their search for the leveller.

The home side crashed an effort off the Brickies bar in a rare foray forward but the visitors finally pulled level after Troy Howard had been pulled down at a corner, and Mitch May coolly stepped up to finally beat Cairney with ten minutes left.

In that last ten minutes, everything happened as referee Dunn showed three red cards (one to Brickies top scorer May) and as the home side shut up shop yet more keeper heroics and the width of a post prevented the Brickies progress. 

The door was left ajar when Dan Jones dragged the home sides first penalty in the shoot-out wide of the goal, the Brickies sensed an upset and after four superb penalties, sub-Joe Boachie rolled the Brickies into the next round. 

The game started at a good pace with half chances at both ends, Howard was denied by a great block whilst Donvieve Jones recovered superbly at the other end to put a superb challenge to deny Tommy Wright.

Kingsford sent a dipping volley just wide from a May knock down before Ik Hill’s low drive was well saved by Harley Earle in the Brickies goal. 

Chances kept coming – Jones and Howard combined brilliantly for the later to cross to the back post where Henry Sinai’s looping header dropped the wrong side of the post. Hill then had Earle handling magnificently from a low cross shot as the first half headed it seemed to be heading for stalement. 

The home side though had other ideas and as Luka Chatwell drove towards the Sittingbourne area, the Winchester man was fortunate to get a ricochet off a defender but his finish beating Earle with some aplomb was a joy to behold as the Brickies keeper was left motionless. 

The Brickies could have come out feeling for themselves but the response to going behind was to arguably produce their best 45 minutes of football of the season. 

Kingsford who became the player controlling the game and from a magnificent run and ball into the box, Sinai’s crashing drive clipped the bar.

The Brickies sensed a way back into the game and Kingsford played in Jones, whose fabulous ball into the box was met by Sinai’s downward header which was magnificently saved by Carney. 

The Brickies went close again when Howard blazed wide after being played through but were reminded that they were still behind as Wright burst through at the other end only to curl a shot off the Sittingbourne bar. 

The visitors still piled forward in search of the equaliser; Kingsford and Howard combined brilliantly to release May who was denied by a great challenge; Henry Lukombo then made a lung busting run which saw Carney brilliantly save the full backs low shot; sub Bagasan Graham was next to be denied by a flying Carney before a deep cross from the sub was headed wide by May with the goal almost as his mercy. 

With ten minutes left, Sittingbourne finally got the goal they deserved as Jack Steventon’s long throw into the box saw Howard man handled to the ground by Dan King, and referee Dunn pointed to the spot and May dutifully rolled home his twentieth goal of the season to spark the most bizarre final ten minutes. 

Carney’s latest sensational save from May as he connected with Jones’ cross sparked bedlam in the Winchester box that saw home skipper Jamie Barron shown a second yellow and defender Dan Bradshaw shown a straight red card.

Referee Dunn wasn’t finished as he also brandished May a straight red card as well leaving the final six minutes plus considerable stoppage time played nine versus ten. 

And it was the ten men who came agonisingly close to winning the tie in ninety minutes.

Quite how Liam Smith’s spectacular drive from the edge of the box beat Carney but crashed off the foot of the left post. Incredibly Sittingbourne went even closer in the closing stages of stoppage time as a Howard header was cleared off the line by Hill. 

And so, to penalties and the visitors were immediately handed an advantage as Dan Jones dragged his effort wide and after Smith, Howard, Kingsford and Donvieve Jones all scored it was down to Boachie to step up and send Sittingbourne into the Third Round for the very first time in their history. 

And with the other five Kent sides playing in Round Two all losing, it will just be Sittingbourne left flying the Kent flag in Monday’s Third Round draw along with National League Ebbsfleet United. 

WINCHESTER CITY – Carney, Bradshaw, Hutchinson, Dan Jones, Jamieson, Wilkins, McCormick (Miambo), Barron, Wright, Chatwell (King), Hill 

Subs – Nevis, Panesar-Dower, Hodan 

SITTINGBOURNE – Earle, Donvieve Jones, Lukombo, Smith, Steventon, Arthur, Howard, Cosgrave (Boachie), May, Kingsford, Sinai (Graham) 

Subs – Beckford, Martin, Turner 

REFEREE – Mr Dunn 

Images courtesy of Paul Golding