Debutant Anthony Church scored an injury-time winner as Sittingbourne pulled off the biggest result in their history to reach the FA Trophy quarter-finals.

The match was in the sixth minute of added time when Church, a late substitute, wrapped his foot around a loose ball to sink National League Southend in their own back yard.

It was an astonishing end to a brilliant performance from the Brickies who had worked their socks off to keep the Shrimpers at bay.

Ryan Maxwell’s part-timers, who play three levels below the Shrimpers in Isthmian South East, are now only two rounds away from a Wembley final.

Sittingbourne, backed by 866 travelling fans, restricted their big-name opponents to precious little in a goalless first half.

The switch to back three worked well with every challenge, header or interception from Jack Steventon, Liam Smith and Chris Arthur cheered by Brickies fans behind the goal.

Wing-backs Donvieve Jones and Henry Lukombo were equally switched on for the visitors.

The Brickies kept Southend away from their goal and, as it was, the only saves debutant keeper Roco Reess had to make came from a couple of Keenan Appiah-Forson efforts from distance.

Gus Scott-Morriss sent a header from a corner over at the back post, while a goalmouth scramble which saw Tom Hopper and Charlie Kendall go for goal was stopped in its tracks by the linesman’s flag.

Sittingbourne, with Ryan Kingsford supported by Troy Howard, got forward now and again, while several Steventon long throws kept the home defence honest.

The Brickies had a decent chance 10 minutes before the break when Joe Boachie got in the box to meet Codey Cosgrave’s cross but couldn’t keep his header down.

Southend made a bright start to the second half, Hopper heading over from Nathan Ralph’s cross when well-placed to score and Josh Walker firing narrowly wide from 20 yards.

Sittingbourne came through that and while Southend were enjoying plenty of the ball, the visitors maintained their shape and discipline to frustrate the hosts.

The work rate against a full-time team was outstanding, not to mention the concentration levels shown by Maxwell’s men.

Scott-Morriss had an effort blocked on the line with just over 10 minutes left - the closest Southend had come to breaking the deadlock.

And as the hosts cranked up the pressure, Rees made an excellent save from Ben Goodliffe’s header at a corner.

The Brickies were on the front foot during seven added minutes, forcing three corners in quick succession.

From the last of those, the ball was recycled and when it came back into the box from Smith, it was cut out before arriving at the feet of Church, who fired in off the far post.

That triggered absolute scenes in the away end and Southend were booed off as the Brickies celebrated.

View Ian Scammell’s full Southend v Sittingbourne gallery, where pictures are also available for purchase, by clicking here

Southend: Harness, Scott-Morriss (Wind 84mins), Ralph, Walker (Waldron 72mins), Taylor, Gubbins, Goodliffe, Hopper (Bonne 72mins), Appiah-Forson, Morton, Kendall (Coker 60mins). Subs not used: Jaakkola, Golding.

Sittingbourne: Rees, Jones, Lukombo, Smith, Steventon, Arthur, Howard, El-Mogharbel (Church 86mins), Boachie (Sinai 59mins), Kingsford (May 77mins), Cosgrave (Beckford 72mins). Subs not used: Earle, Batt, Graham.

Referee: Andrew Humphries.

Attendance: 4,810 (866 away).