Sidley out to create history

The Blues will be attempting to win two FA Cup matches in the same season for the first time when they travel to Greenwich Borough.

Sidley manager John Lambert said: “It’s definitely winnable. I know they got a whacking on Saturday, but we got a whacking at Peacehaven and came back from that. It’s just what Sidley turns up.”

The Blues won their FA Cup extra preliminary round matches in the 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2008/09 campaigns only to be knocked out in the preliminary round on all three occasions.

Having pulled off a notable 1-0 victory at Hassocks in this season’s extra preliminary round a fortnight ago, Sidley will be desperately hoping to make it fourth time lucky tomorrow.

And who’s to say they won’t? Sidley have won two and lost two of their four Sussex County Football League Division One matches to date, while Greenwich have won one and lost two in the equivalent-standing Kent Premier Division.

Remarkably, both teams have lost by eight-goal margins in the opening three weeks of 2012/13. Sidley went down 9-1 at Peacehaven & Telscombe on August 8, while Greenwich were thumped 8-0 by Erith Town last weekend.

There should certainly be no shortage of incentive because the winners will receive £1,750 from the FA’s prize fund and a plum home tie against Ryman Premier Division outfit Cray Wanderers in first round qualifying on September 8.

“It would be great for the club money-wise if we could win,” added Lambert, who says that striker Dominic Clarke is likely to come back in and central defender Dan Cruikshank should be fit.

Hastings United have requested that Andy Hales doesn’t play so that he isn’t cup-tied for them, while goalkeeper Josh Willis is expected to return to the squad after regaining fitness.

See tomorrow’s Bexhill Observer for the full article.