You just have got to approach the game in the right way, hopefully we’ll work hard and we’ll get our rewards, says Herne Bay joint-boss John Embery

HERNE BAY joint-manager John Embery says he wants his side to work hard to avoid being on the end of a FA Cup upset at Arundel tomorrow.

The Bay travel down to Sussex sitting in eleventh-place in the Bostik South East Division table, courtesy of a 1-1 draw at Faversham Town and a 1-0 home defeat to Whyteleafe.

Simon Hull’s side sit in the bottom three in the Southern Combination League Premier Division table with three draws and a defeat in the league so far this season.

“It’s a FA Cup game, we don’t know much about them,” admitted Embery, whose side are one level higher than their hosts going into the Preliminary Round clash.

“You just have got to approach the game in the right way, hopefully we’ll work hard and we’ll get our rewards.”

When asked how his side will avoid being on the end of a cup upset, Embery replied:  “Hard work, purely hard work and also attitude, attitude.  Approach every game like a Cup final in these kind of ones because if you go there with a sloppy attitude thinking it’s going to be easy, we’ll get beat.  It’s something we won’t allow to happen!

“If they work hard and put it in and move the ball well, you should’ve have a problem but you’ve got to do that and be totally switched on.”

Reflecting on their opening two league games, Embery said: “To be fair, the first game we should have won hands down! We should have been out of sight first half.

“We gave away a penalty, we keep giving away penalties!  You play against us, there’s a chance you get a penalty! We’ve given away a couple of penalties.

“We should have come away from there at half-time maybe five or five-nil up.

“The Whyteleafe game, we applied ourselves quite well, gave away a poor penalty. We thought it would be a little bit easier but the boys need to understand if you don’t put it in you don’t get anything out of it.”


Herne Bay sealed a home tie against Hythe Town in the Second Round of the Kent Senior Cup after their 6-1 win at Phoenix Sports in midweek.

“We struggled for the first half, so we ripped into them at half-time with their tempo and their quality and their desire to work hard and demanded more,” revealed Embery.

“We went out and we scored six and hit the post three times and their goalkeeper made some really good saves and we could have scored eight or nine in the second half.

“As long as they can carry that attitude into Saturday’s game, we’ll be fine.

“Because there’s less midweek games we will field a bit more of a stronger side when we play (in the Kent Senior Cup).  To be fair, we still played lads who didn’t play. We gave a goalkeeper his debut at senior level and a few others we brought in and played.

“It was good from that point of view but they’re in our squad so we expect them to be able to be capable to come in and do a good job for us.

“We’ll try to be pretty strong for the minute because the midweek games are few and far between and it keeps the momentum up and our fitness levels and all sorts. It gives us an opportunity to look at the whole squad.”

Visit Herne Bay’s website:  www.pitchero.com/clubs/hernebay

Arundel  v  Herne Bay
The Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round
Saturday 25 August 2018
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Mill Road, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9PA