Corinthian defender Dan Bent earns trial at Dagenham & Redbridge

CORINTHIAN manager Matt Longhurst says League Two club Dagenham & Redbridge are taking an interest in one of his young centre backs.



The Fawkham-based club are presently sitting in sixth-place in the Kent Hurlimann Football League with seven wins and four draws from seventeen games.

Corinthian have a reputation of giving youngsters a chance – in fact current Gillingham director of football Andy Hessenthaler played for the club as a youngster.

And Longhurst revealed today that Dan Bent, 17, is currently on trial with Dagenham & Redbridge.

He said: ”Dan Bent, who turned seventeen a week ago, is another player benefiting from being given the opportunity to play weekly first-team football and is now currently on trial with Dagenham & Redbridge, which is testament to him as a lad.

“The boy comes in every week, trains and plays to the best of his ability and is an outstanding talent – someone we have high hopes for, if not now, certainly in the future.”

Longhurst, who has lost a couple of senior players in the shape of striker Rob Denness and midfielder James Lyons, insisted 21-goal striker Alfie May will not leave to sign for another Kent League club.

May's older brother, Ben, has scored thirteen goals for Blue Square Bet (Conference) South side Dover Athletic this season and Jay May played for the likes of Tonbridge Angels and Dartford among others.

”Losing those two players it’s given even more of an opportunity to more of our younger players,” said Longhurst.

”Alfie May is currently the Kent League leading goalscorer at just nineteen-years-old, after taking him from park football eighteen months ago.

”He’s had a number of seven-day approaches for him but he’ll only move on to the right club for his progression, certainly somewhere he’ll play and realistically a move up the league’s, not sideways for money within the Kent League.

”Alfie is one of a host of exciting young players we have.”

Corinthian travel to Lordswood tomorrow, a Kent League fixture that was hastily arranged after Lordswood’s FA Carlsberg Vase Fourth Round tie at Spennymoor Town was postponed for the second week running.

”We’re currently on the back of four straight wins,” added Longhurst.

”Watching these lads train each week you can see them getting better and better, with the opportunity of playing weekly rather than sitting on benches elsewhere in the league’s above.

”The weather has played havoc with most people’s preparation but we’re lucky enough to have our own indoor 3G pitch, which allows us to train all year round.

”Competing in the Kent League without a budget is not easy, but hopefully young players in Kent can see the advantage of being at Corinthian gaining valuable playing time and being coached.”

Corinthian travel to Holmesdale with a slender one-goal lead going into their Macron Kent League Cup Quarter-Final Second Leg next Tuesday night.

Looking ahead to their trip to Oakley Road, Longhurst said:  ”We’ve got the second leg against Holmesdale on Tuesday, then a succession of games, Saturday-Tuesday, which is great if you’re winning, but not so good if you’re not, but we’ll see how we get on.

”The success levels are measured differently here with the idea of trying to win games whilst progressing young players.

”It’s a pleasure to work with these players and sitting in sixth in the league and being in a quarter-final is certainly good going into the second half of the season.

”We’ve got an excellent chance of improving on last season’s success of reaching the club’s first ever senior final and highest league finish of seventh, but as they say it’s the business end of the season. 

”Let’s hope in a few weeks time our season is still very much alive.”

Visit Corinthian’s website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/corinthianfc

Lordswood  v  Corinthian
Kent Hurlimann Football League
Saturday 26^th January 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Martyn Grove, North Dane Way, Walderslade, Kent ME5 8YE