Sittingbourne 3 (J Greenidge, Smith – 2, 1 pen) AFC Greenwich Borough 4 (Payne -2 , Obilana, Revill)
Emirates FA Cup 1st Qualifying Roune
Saturday 5th September 2026
Report: Mike Green

Veteran striker Stefan Payne struck twice to dump Sittingbourne out of the FA Cup as SCEFL leaders AFC Greenwich Borough recovered from a two-goal deficit to earn a place in Monday’s draw with a super strike in stoppage time.

The game looked well and truly over just after half time when Harvey Smith rolled in his seventh goal of the season from the spot after Darren Foxley had been hauled down in the box to give the home side a comfortable 3-1 lead.

Payne had accepted a gift early on as a cross was spilled to put Greenwich ahead, before Jordan Greenidge levelled with shot in off a post, and then Smith’s angled lob had put the home side deservedly ahead at the break. And when Smith’s penalty rolled home, the home side really looked as if they had one foot in the next round already.

But the introduction of Harry Revill off the Greenwich bench gave the visitors impetus as the home side seemed to settle for what they had. Revill had soon pulled one back after skipping round the keeper before he brought the scores level by powering home a far post header whilst the home side were controversially down to ten after a delay in making a substitution.

Twice Greenwich then hit the frame of the goal through Tom Jones and Arthur Penny as they looked to win the tie, but when the ball fell to Payne in stoppage time, the veteran striker wasn’t going to miss and he didn’t!

The visitors were ahead in the first minutes when a seemingly aimless cross from Josh Shonibare was spilled by keeper Jamie Grossart and Payne accepted the gift from three yards.

And for a very long time, that’s as good as it got for the visitors as Sittingbourne controlled the first period – Darren Foxley had a shot turned round the post by keeper Peter Balogun; Jordy Mongoy lobbed a good chance into the side netting before Smith powered a header into the keeper’s mid-rift from a cross from Bagasan Graham.

The equaliser eventually arrived as Jordan Greenidge was played through and his angled drive went in off the left post. One soon became two as Graham played a super through ball for Smith to run onto and lift over the advancing keeper. Smith was denied a second on the stroke of half time when Balogun stood up well to the Brickies striker, but Smith got his revenge moments into the second period when Foxley was crudely taken out in the box and the big striker sent Balogan the wrong way from the spot.

Bizarrely with one foot and possibly one hand in the next round, inexplicably the home side “stopped” playing and the SCEFL leaders took full advantage. The Sittingbourne goal had a real escape when a shot was blocked before Grossart beat out Jones’ follow up, before Revill’s arrival – for Olu Obilana – changed things Greenwich’s way and he was on hand to skip round Grossart and side foot the visitors back into the tie.

Jones then crashed a free kick off the underside of the bar before Revill found his way into the box to get on the end of a deep cross to head home and draw the scores level at a point where the Brickies had only ten men on the pitch after the referee didn’t allow a substitution that Reece Prestidge was trying to make.

Penny thought he had given Greenwich the lead with a terrific curling effort that left the crossbar rattling as time expired. But in stoppage time, the ball ran to an unmarked Payne on the edge of the box and the striker made no mistake as he gleefully hammered AFC Greenwich Borough into the next round for the very first time in their history, whilst Sittingbourne are left to reflect on surrendering a 3-1 lead now in both FA Trophy and FA Cup to exit both competitions.

SITTINGBOURNE – Jamie Grossart, Gavin Hoyte, Bagasa Graham, Luke Woodward, Dexter Peter, Reiss Greenidge (Samson Uwandu), Darren Foxley (Joe Boachie), D’sean Theobalds, Jordan Greenidge, Harvey Smith (Kieron Agbebi), Jody Mongoy (Khavarn Williams)

Subs not used – Muhammad Malik, Teddy Kelly

AFC GREENWICH BOROUGH – Peter Balogun, Braham-Barrett, Clout, Arthur Penney, Wilfred Evans, Malik Sesay (Archie Panyi), Josh Shonibare, Oluwatomisin Obilana (Harry Revill), Stefan Payne, Bradley Ryan (Austin Tanner), Tom Jones

Subs not used – Abel Vendrells, Levon Horsley-McKay, Javarn Pitterson, Freddy Wylie