Sittingbourne 0 (0) -v Plymouth Parkway 3 (2)

Report by Mike Green

Emirates FC Cup history was made at the Staxson Stadium yesterday afternoon (Saturday 28th September), but sadly for Sittingbourne it was visitors Plymouth Parkway making the historical move as the Devon side clinched a place in the Fourth Qualifying Round of the Greatest Cup Competition in the World for the very first time in their history. 

The side from the Southern League South Premier Division were in truth worthy winners against a Brickies side who failed to hit the heights of their 4-1 Isuzu FA Trophy win of a week earlier as the Brickies crashed out. 

The visitors were two ahead at the break courtesy of a really soft penalty and a shot through the crowd on the stroke of half time and sealed their progress with a header from corner midway through the second half. But the Brickies faithful will point at a serious level of inconsistency from the match official as well as a chance that went against the home side when they were just a goal behind. 

The visitors were ahead just past the fifteen-minute mark after stifling the Brickies early on as referee Ellsmore pointed to the spot following an innocuous looking challenge, but Parkway skipper Shane White stepped up and hammered the spot kick beyond the dive of keeper Deon-Curtis Henry to give the visitors the lead. 

The Brickies responded as top scorer Mitch May was brilliantly played through and as keeper Ewan Griffiths came out, May coolly slotted the ball past the keeper only for the ball to crash against a post and the rebound flew past the onrushing Troy Howard at a ridiculous height and angle. 

Just as it appeared that the home side would be able to regroup just a goal down, disaster struck for the Brickies as Henry did well to save an effort from Dylan James as the winger hammered a low ball across the box. Unfortunately for the Brickies keeper, he could only push the ball out and Callum Hall was on hand to hammer the ball home through the crowd to double Parkways lead. 

The home side were rocked and could have been three down within seconds of the restart. Jones was again involved and as his centre found Matt Wright, the striker was magnificently denied by a goal saving block from Henry Lukombo. 

Try as they might, the Brickies simply could not get a foothold in the game and when Wright headed the visitors third from a corner midway through the half, Sittingbourne’s Cup hopes was well and truly shattered, whilst for the Devon side, the dreams live on... 

Sittingbourne Played: Henry, Cosgrave, Lukombo, El-Mogharbel (Boachie), Smith, Arthur, Sinai (Beckford), Hammill, May, Kingsford and Howard (Georgiou) . Subs: Earle, Torsiello, Uwand and Jones.