Kentish Football 
Herne Bay boss Simon Halsey admits: We've won nothing yet!
Sunday 02nd January 2011
HERNE BAY boss Simon Halsey says his side have prepared well to avoid slipping up on a potential banana skin against Lordswood tomorrow, writes Stephen McCartney.
Lordswood stunned Kent League title favourites Hythe Town at Reachfields Stadium last Tuesday afternoon as they led 4-0 on the hour-mark, courtesy of two goals apiece from Stephen Elliott and lone striker Rob Denness, before Scott Porter’s side hit back with three goals in an eight minute spell, through Brendon Cass (penalty), Dan Cook and Kieran Byrne.
Lordswood climbed up to 12th place in the table on 11 points, but Halsey knows his side must respect Jason Lillis’ side if they are to avoid slipping up at Winch’s Field.
“I’d imagine their tails will be up now and they will be gunning to get three points, so I’ll be expecting nothing but a full hearted, fully explosive Lordswood side to come at us tomorrow,” warned Halsey.
Halsey insisted that complacency will not creep into the ranks.
He said: “The difference is I won’t just let my players turn up. My players were in training on New Years Day so there’s no chance of my players slipping up or thinking it’s going to be easy - that won’t be happening I’m afraid.
“If we don’t get maximum points tomorrow it will be down to losing to a better side, I’m afraid. It won’t be down to bad preparation or a bit of luck as we were in training yesterday so we’re preparing ourselves exactly right for the game tomorrow.”
Herne Bay head the Kent League table with 26 points from 13 games, with VCD Athletic second with 25 points from 12 games and Beckenham Town third with 23 points from 12 games.
Hythe Town are fourth with 22 points from 11 games, Erith Town are fifth with 22 points from 13 games and Greenwich Borough follow with 21 points from 11 games.
Halsey said: “I just wanted to be in the mix, somewhere near the mix at the turn of the year. Fortunately we’ve stayed top, so I’m very pleased with the lads’ effort. It just proves with them coming in yesterday, when I asked them, and that they’re fully committed to whatever I ask them to do and they’re fully behind me and their intentions are the same as mine of tying to win the Kent League.
“If you look back to my earlier articles in pre-season, I said there will be four or five teams in the mix this year and at the moment I’m bang on right!
“I thought it would be a very good year. Certain people thought we’d run away with it this year as we came runners-up last year and won the other cup, but as I said there will be three or four, maybe five years in it, right through to the last knockings.”
Herne Bay have a make-or-break month to look forward to, with a FA Carlsberg Vase Fourth Round tie against holders Whitley Bay - or AFC Liverpool - to look forward to at Winch’s Field on 22 January.
The two northern sides hope to play their outstanding Third Round tie at the fourth attempt this coming Saturday and Halsey says he is in discussions with a local based scout to get the run down on both sides ahead of their visit to Kent later on in the month.
“I’m just in the middle of trying to sort something from that end of the country to have a look at the game and email me a full report on both sides,” revealed Halsey.
“At the end of the day I’ll be worrying about making sure Herne Bay Football Club are prepared right and I’ll pick the right sixteen for that Saturday.”
Halsey added: “We’ve got some good games in a very short space of time. It’s what I call the business end of the season. We’ve done some very, very hard work up until now and now we’re in the business end of the season where it matters so I can’t wait to get going tomorrow really.
“We might be sitting up there at the moment, but April is the telling time. We might be top at the moment but it means nothing. It’s April that matters and we’ll have a look at the league then and see what it says and that will determine our fate for next season.“
Visit Herne Bay’s website: www.hernebayfc.net
Herne Bay v Lordswood
Safety Net Associates Kent League
Bank Holiday Monday, 3rd January 2011
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Winch’s Field, Stanley Gardens, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5SG
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd