A dramatic late equaliser by the visitors sent this tie to penalties for the third season in a row. Fleet’s perfect five from the spot saw them through as Sittingbourne sub Darren Foxley’s kick was saved by Jonathan Macaulay.
There were three enforced changes from midweek with Ben Chapman suspended, Elijah Anthony out on loan and Maxx Manktelow carrying a knock, while Aaron Cosgrave made do with a place on the bench. In came Gene Kennedy, Mustapha Olagunju, Ben Coker and Finlay Barnes.
Fleet were in control from the whistle and Lennon Peake came close to an early opener with just seconds on the clock as he met Josh Passley’s delivery from the right in the air but couldn’t keep that effort on target.
With 15 minutes gone, and despite the Fleet bossing possession, the closest chance so far came in favour of the visitors when a volleyed effort from the edge of the area from Jack Steventon went marginally wide.
Sittingbourne tried to get away on the break and were fortunate with a clear offside run that the assistant referee decided wasn’t and they also got off lightly when Derek Asamoah’s sliding tackle on Ben Coker took the Fleet player’s ankles in return for a yellow card.
Finlay Barnes narrowly dragged his effort wide while Dominic Samuel couldn’t get enough on his header as the ball looped over Taylor Seymour’s bar.
George Moncur had two chances, trying to pull off one of his spectaculars on the volley that went wide, while another effort was deflected out for a corner as neither goalkeeper was busy heading into the break.
Once the Fleet got into their tempo in the second half, it was mainly one-way traffic played in the Sittingbourne half. Once again Moncur tried to break the deadlock with a shot from space but it was a comfortable save for Seymour. Barnes went close moments later and Seymour pushed that clear too.
The Fleet looked a threat from corners but the Isthmian South East side were well organised in defence and packed men behind the ball to frustrate the red shirts with every attacking play.
What looked like the crucial goal arrived on 72 minutes when Passley’s shot was only parried by Seymour and as it ran loose, Samuel followed up to stroke it home.
Fleet sent on two more substitutes and looked to be heading into the next round comfortably – and with a run on goal by Aaron Cosgrave and another chance for Josh Coley, the result might have been sealed before full-time.
Seymour made a couple of fumbles and got lucky with a few blocks, including one where he kicked the ball off the back of defender Chris Arthur, but it remained 1-0.
Macaulay, who was a spectator on his home debut all game, suddenly found himself busy in the final moments. He saved from Darren Foxley and then somehow beat away Henry Sinai’s shot on the line with the ball pinging around the Fleet box.
But Sittingbourne kept plugging away and were rewarded on 90 minutes when an attempted Fleet clearance skidded off the knee of Yannis Ambroisine and looped past Macaulay and into the net.
The penalty shootout was marked by eight perfect kicks – all of Sittingbourne’s taken by their substitutes – which neither goalkeeper got near until Foxley’s crucial kick was saved by Macaulay in his first shootout and Lennon Peake tucked away the winner for the Fleet.
EUFC: Macaulay, Passley, Coker, Nelson (Seaman 63), Olagunju, Domi (Edser 73), Kennedy, Moncur (Coley 73), Peake, Barnes (Cosgrave 54), Samuel. Sub: Hessenthaler.
SFC: Seymour, Hoyte (Ambroisine 83), Graham, Steventon, Arthur, El-Mogharbel (Smith 83), Theobalds (Hamill 83), Woodward (Foxley 77), Fischer, Crowhurst, Asamoah (Sinai 51).
Attendance: 1,047 (323 away)
Photos: ©EUFC: Dave Plumb/Tom Harris
