I’m asking a lot of 17,18 and 19-year-olds who are getting thrown in to a tricky situation, but we’ll turn it around, I’m confident of that, says Canterbury City boss Chris Woollcott

CANTERBURY CITY manager Chris Woollcott says his young players will have to learn quickly to climb up the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table.

 

Canterbury City slipped to a 4-0 home defeat to Tunbridge Wells last Friday night and as a result are now in fourteenth-place in the table with 15 points from 14 games.

“It’s been a turbulent month or so but we are starting to settle the squad down now and try to build some momentum and consistency,” said Woollcott.

“That’s been hard to do when there are five or six enforced changes a week and new faces coming in, but we are slowly getting there.

“We’ve had one training session with this group so it’s going to take time to get back to where we want to be.

“Unfortunately, for us this time has come when we are playing teams in and around us in the table, so it’s hit us hard as we’ve lost what you’d call six-pointers if we were further down the line.

“I’m asking a lot of 17,18 and 19-year-olds who are getting thrown in to a tricky situation, but we’ll turn it around, I’m confident of that.

“We’ve dropped down the table but at this point of the season I’m not too bothered by that and I’m confident we’ll start to climb again soon.

“We’ll take it one game at a time and our boys are growing every game and taking everything in at the moment but there is some serious talent in there, so it won’t be long before we see that.”

Canterbury City make the trip to Gravesend tomorrow to play Punjab United, a side in the bottom four in the table with eight points from 14 games.

“Punjab are a good club. Every time I’ve played them it’s been a tricky game. I think we might have gone 2-0 down against them at home last season and came back to win 3-2,” recalled Woollcott.

“They’ve got some very good players, particularly in attacking players. The experience and quality of Paul Vines for one will be a real handful and an experience for our boys.

“We’ve got a couple of young lads in at centre-half coming out of the under 23s football who will have played against Paul Vines and Gary Alexander (Erith & Belvedere) in the space of a couple of weeks, so I’m sure they’ll learn a lot from that.

“I’m looking forward to it though. We’ll go to score goals and so will they, neither sides are ones to sit back so it should be an entertaining game.”

Winger Sammi Takalobighashi, who is on loan from Isthmian League South East Division side Ramsgate, and the son of former Ramsgate and Maidstone United striker Mo, will be missing the game.

“He is off to England Schoolboy trials this weekend, so we’re without him and wish him all the best there,” added Woollcott.

Visit Canterbury City’s website: www.canterburycityfc.net

Punjab United  v  Canterbury City
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Saturday 6 November 2021
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Elite Venue, Dunkirk Close, Gravesend, Kent DA12 5ND