Saturday's rather lacklustre cup tie which City dominated from start to finish will perhaps only be remembered for an outstanding ninth minute goal from Barry Lakin which came from a long distance Beckham-style free-kick.

The former Leyton Orient player spotted home goalkeeper Paul Daley off his line, and from the best part of 40 yards, he drilled home an unstoppable free-kick - a brilliant piece of individual skill.

City had taken the lead two minutes earlier, when Ollie Berquez neatly lobbed the ball over Daley's head from an acute angle.

With the confidence of two early goals, City, even without the injured Brett Girling, Leon Bell and John Bishop, took control and never looked back against a side that City manager Gary Bellamy described as "extremely poor and disappointing."

The only surprise for the City fans in the 361 crowd was that they went in at the interval without adding to their score, after Berquez, Tesfaye Bramble and Ben Fuller all went close.

At the other end, Paul Catley was well in command in goal, when Sittingbourne occasionally threatened.

Immediately after the interval, Sittingbourne went close to scoring but City full-back Brian Sutton cleared the danger and in the 52nd minute the game was effectively over when the home side's Shane Davies was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Three minutes past the hour, City added a third goal, when Berquez's cross was headed goalward by Alan Vincent and Bramble was on hand to pick up the rebound from the goal keeper who failed to hold the initial effort.

Sittingbourne broke away five minutes from time to score a consolation goal when Tom Berry scored, despite John Girling's effort to clear the ball, but the assistant linesman said that it had crossed the line.

It was certainly an easy win for City but life will be a little harder in the next round at Bromley on November 27.

Chelmsford City: Catley; Sutton, J Girling, Reeve, Wardley (Allen); Berquez (Porter), Lakin, Vincent, Hazell: Bramble (Sonnex), and Fuller.

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