Presser with Prezza
Following Sittingbourne’s 2-1 win at AFC Croydon Athletic, David Major spoke to the Brickies gaffer Reece Prestedge.
DM: The intensity today was there to be seen, particularly in the first half.
RP: That’s one of the keys things we set out to do. We know that is how they also like to play, so we had to implement our game plan and style from the very first minute. The intensity was there from both sides in the first 15 to 20 minutes, and it was good to see that we kept that intensity for the full 90 minutes and into injury time.
DM: I know you and your backroom staff work hard on bringing in the right profile of player and the right character for the changing room. It was pleasing to see the new players integrate with the senior players with five making their full debuts for the club.
RP: I think the pre-season results aren’t too important, it would have been nice to have won them all but personally it is all about fitness, performances, partnerships and combinations – and that just goes to show today with this result.
DM: We have our first home game of the campaign on Saturday against Cray Valley, how pleasing will it be for you and the players to be back in front of the Sittingbourne faithful at the Staxson Stadium?
RP: We have always said that we want to make the Staxson Stadium a fortress, a place that no opponent wants to come to, and I don’t see that changing.
Five things we liked about the day
1. The new signings.
Seven players made their debuts, six of whom started and all had stand-out performances in their first
competitive game together.
2. The travelling Sittingbourne faithful.
As always, we love the efforts put in by our great supporters who travel well in numbers and are always
vocal.
3. Captain Bagasan with THAT assist.
Having picked up the ball inside his own half, left-back Bagasan Graham drove through the home
defence, shrugging off three opponents to lay-off the ball for Harvey Smith to prod home the winning
goal.
4. Super Sub Smith’s injury-time winner.
Harvey is an FA Vase winner having scored at Wembley with Whitstable, and he celebrated as if he had
achieved that fine feat yet again when he scored in the 9th minute of injury-time to put the Brickies 2-1 ahead. That is how much that win against the side who we lost against in the Play-off Semi-final in April meant to the Sittingbourne side.
5. Starting the season off with a win.
That’s three consecutive wins on the opening day of the season – however, this one meant that little bit
more with that Play-off Semi-final defeat in the back of everyone’s minds.
The last time we lost on the opening day of the League season was back in 2023 at the hands of Cray
Valley – who we play next this Saturday at the Staxson Stadium.
