Nicky Southall felt nothing but pride at the end of Lordswood’s history-making FA Cup run. Southall’s Southern Counties East side, playing in the second qualifying round for the first time, lost 1-0 at home to Sittingbourne of Isthmian South East.
But it was a time for celebration after an FA Cup campaign to remember, culminating in a record crowd of 745 at Martyn Grove and an appearance on live TV.
Southall wasn’t sure how his players would react after losing 5-0 to Faversham in the league on Tuesday night. But they cleared their heads to push higher-division opponents all the way in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off, losing to Henry Sinai’s 62nd-minute header from a corner. “I couldn’t be any prouder of my players,” said Lords boss Southall. “We took a really good team in Sittingbourne - strong, athletic, a lot of pace and a lot of height - right to the wire and that’s what I wanted to do. “For me, it looked like being a replay. “The only disappointing thing is their smallest player has scored the goal.
We forget to mark one of the smallest players in the box, who’s just as lethal as a tall player. “But, overall, I’m really delighted with the performance, especially after Tuesday to take a really good team to the wire. “It isn’t easy coming off a 5-0 defeat.