Manager Ryan Maxwell took responsibility after Sittingbourne’s FA Trophy exit at Sheppey.

The Brickies lost 2-1 away to their Swale rivals in the Second Qualifying Round on Saturday.

They conceded the opener at the end of the first half while defender Donvieve Jones was receiving treatment for a head injury after colliding with a barrier.

Brickies boss Maxwell wishes he’d made a substitution, rather than leaving his side to play a man down while they considered whether Jones could continue.

“I have to take responsibility,” said Maxwell.

“We conceded with 10 men while Donny was off the pitch and I probably should have made the substitution earlier.

“I always look at myself first and I should have made the change because it was a time in the game when Sheppey were on top.

“The fact Donny was getting treatment gave us the impression he was going to come back on.

“It wasn’t, ‘I’m no good, take me off’, so we waited a bit longer when we shouldn’t have done.

“We’re a young group and that was exposed in that moment when we were down to 10 men but I take responsibility for that happening.”

Jones was eventually substituted as a precaution, replaced by Casey Nolan-Samuels after Jacob Lambert’s opener.

It was a concerning time given the nature of the incident, adding to the lack of certainty over what to do.

“He’s sprinting down to the byline and he’s hit his head into the barrier,” said Maxwell.

“There’s been a couple of instances where these things have been life-altering, so it wasn’t taken lightly, and that’s why we deliberated over it a bit longer than we should have done but thankfully he’s OK.

“He had a little bit of glue on a gash but he’ll be fine.

“There was no concussion, it was purely a superficial injury, but you still have a duty of care to the player and that was partly on our minds.

“We didn’t want to take him off no matter what but we made the decision to take him off because of that duty of care as much as anything else. It’s something to reflect on.

“You don’t get every single call right as a manager.

“As a management team, we know in future we need to make that call earlier.”

Sittingbourne started well at Holm Park but lost their way as Sheppey took charge.

Lambert’s goal on the stroke of half-time was followed by a second, with Brickies old boy Josh Wisson heading home early in the second half.

Javaun Spatt replied and had a big chance to level but Sheppey weathered the storm.

“We started very well for five or six minutes,” said Maxwell.

“We had one off the line but we were poor for the rest of the first half.

“We had to regroup in the second half and other than conceding from a set-piece early on, we were much better and probably deserved a draw with the chances we created.

“Sheppey were definitely the better side in the first half - there’s no doubt about that.

“I thought we’d pass the ball well on the 3G pitch but we looked like we were rushing things and not taking care of the ball.

“Apart from the goal, I was pleased with our second-half performance.

“The fact their keeper (Aidan Prall) was man-of-the-match probably tells you how much pressure we had.

“We were value for the draw but we gave ourselves a mountain to climb and you don’t always get the chance to climb it.”

With striker Chris Harris away on best-man duties at a wedding in Spain, Splatt’s performance was a positive.

The former Whitehawk striker is getting up to speed following his arrival from Ramsgate on the eve of the season.

Injury delayed his debut but he showed his quality against the Ites.

“In two or three weeks’ time, the chance he gets to make it 2-2, he’ll score,” said Maxwell.

“It’s just a lack of game time but his performance in the second half was excellent. He did a bit of everything.

“He won the ball, he held it up and brought others into play, he beat people and looked a threat.

“That’s the Javaun Splatt everyone knows is within him and I’ve got to get that out of him consistently.

“If I can do that, I think we’re talking about the player who clubs were alerted to a couple of years ago and the player I’ve hopefully signed.”

Sittingbourne could face former skipper Matty Warren when they visit Sevenoaks in Isthmian South East this Saturday (3pm).

Oaks, like the Brickies, were knocked out of the FA Trophy, beaten 3-1 by Ramsgate.

Maxwell said: “Looking at some of the players they’ve signed, they’re going for it this year.

“They have a way of playing - Ramsgate dealt with it on Saturday - and we have to be ready for it.

“They’ll be wanting to put things straight after losing in the Trophy, as are we, and I’m expecting a proper performance from my players.

“I told them the standards were nowhere near good enough in the first half at Sheppey - nowhere near it.

“The good thing in football is you don’t have to wait long for the next game and the chance to set things right.”