The trouble with this league this year more than any there’s a lot of teams in it who want to win this league this year and I think it will be a difficult league to win, says Hythe Town coach Mark Lane

HYTHE TOWN coach Mark Lane admits it’s going to be hard to win the Ryman League Division One South title this season.

The Cannons suffered their worst result in their history in a FA competition when they suffered an 8-1 defeat away to Welling United in The FA Buildbase FA Trophy First Round last weekend.

It was the furthest that Hythe Town have gone in the competition but Jamie Day’s side were just too good on the day at Park View Road.

Hythe Town are in the top six in the Ryman League Division One South table on 42 points from 22 games and travel to Carshalton Athletic on Saturday.

Peter Adeniyi’s side are in fourth-place in the table and have collected 46 points from their 23 league games.

Dorking Wanderers returned to the summit with 53 points from 23 games, while the play-off places are currently occupied by Tooting & Mitcham United (52 points from 24); Greenwich Borough (47 points from 24); Carshalton Athletic and surprise package Corinthian-Casuals (45 points from 22).

“I had Carshalton down as the team to win the league this year,” said goalkeeper coach Lane.

“They’ve got Peter Adeniyi in there, who has a lot of contacts with Dulwich, so I think it’s going to be another tough game over at Carshalton on a 3G pitch.

“We just have to get our heads around it and forget about the Welling game and move on.  Thankfully that wasn’t a league game so that’s the positive to take out of it.”

Hythe Town then play three Kent derbies over the festive period.

Manager Clive Cook takes his side to Chatham Town on Tuesday 27 December; before hosting Faversham Town (Saturday 31 December) and Ramsgate on Monday 2 January 2017.  All games kicking off at 15:00.

“All three Kent derbies and anything can happen in a Kent derby,” said Lane.

“We all know each other and they all know us, so it’s a case of getting prepared.  We’re training up until Christmas and we’ll be ready for the game on the 27^th.

“We’re going to have a social and we’ll go out after training and go out for a curry which is what we do, try to get the bonding going again and we’ll have a little break over Christmas because we’ve been playing Saturday, Tuesday since August and training etc.

“It will be nice to have a four or five day break but I’m sure come the time the 27^th comes around we’ll be chomping at the bit to get out of the house and get back to playing football!”

Lane said that Hythe Town have plenty of competition for the league title this season.

“Dorking and Tooting & Mitcham to a degree have opened up a gap so they’re going to be difficult,” said Lane.

“There’s a long way to go, we’re not even halfway through the league games yet. We’ll just try to pick up wins here, there and everywhere.

“The trouble with this league this year more than any there’s a lot of teams in it who want to win this league this year and I think it will be a difficult league to win.”

Visit Hythe Town’s website: www.hythetownfc.co.uk

Carshalton Athletic  v  Hythe Town
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 17^th December 2016
Kick Off 3:00pm
at War Memorial Sports Ground, Colston Avenue, Carshalton, Surrey SM5 2PW