Sittingbourne manager Ryan Maxwell fired up for FA Trophy run after early FA Cup exit

Sittingbourne have extra motivation to progress in the FA Trophy this weekend.

The Brickies host Ashford Town (Middx) at Woodstock in the First Qualifying Round on Saturday (3pm).

They still feel aggrieved at the manner of their FA Cup exit at the hands of Jersey Bulls, when refereeing decisions went against them in a 2-0 Extra Preliminary Round replay defeat.

Boss Ryan Maxwell has called on his side to channel that frustration in a positive way by launching an FA Trophy run.

“I’ve never had such bad luck, may it be injuries or refereeing decisions at major moments, as we had in the FA Cup,” said Maxwell. “I still feel aggrieved by what happened.

“I felt gutted for the players but we’ve got another opportunity now to put our energies and frustrations into this game and right a couple of wrongs.

“It’s a game we’ll take very, very seriously. I want to get on a run in the FA Trophy. A cup game always has an added spice to it and we want to try and start going a number of games unbeaten.

“That’s important to me and that’s why I see this as a game with a win-at-all-costs-type mentality. That’s what I’ve told the boys.

“It’ll be difficult, because cup games always are, but if these boys play to their potential consistently, I’m never worried about the opposition. I’m respectful but never worried.”

Sittingbourne came from a goal down to beat Ashford United 2-1 in the Kent Senior Cup First Round at Woodstock last Saturday.

Chris Harris levelled and Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Fischer scored the winner as Bourne struck twice in the last 10 minutes.

Harris, a summer signing from Bishop’s Stortford, is on his way back from injury and it was his first Brickies goal.

“Chrissy had only done one training session on Thursday,” said Maxwell.