I don't really know what to expect in this division, admits Herne Bay boss Simon Halsey

HERNE BAY boss Simon Halsey admits he doesn’t know what to expect when Horsham visit Winch’s Field on Saturday.



Last season’s Kent League title winners have exceeded all expectations already this season and lie in third-place in the Ryman League Division One South table with four wins and four draws from their opening ten games.

The Hornets sit in sixteenth-place in the table, with three wins and two draws from eight league games.

“I don’t know what to expect in this division to be honest,” admitted Halsey.

“All I expect is for us to apply ourselves properly and hopefully the rest will do itself.

“But I don’t really know what to expect in this division.  It’s a very, very different league with everyone beating each other.  No one is sort of taking a grasp of it so you never know what you’re going to get.”

There are only seven points that separate second-placed Folkestone Invicta to second-from-bottom side Leatherhead.

Highflying Herne Bay were taken to penalties by bottom-of-the-table side Tooting & Mitcham United in last night’s Ryman League Cup Second Round tie at Winch’s Field.  The game finished all-square at 2-2 after 90 minutes, but Herne Bay clinched progression into the next round after winning 7-6 on penalties.

Halsey said: “Last night we played Tooting & Mitcham, who are bottom in the League and we’re up joint-third and it was two-all. It was a great game of football. I’m not sure what side they had but we made a lot of changes of my squad.”

Halsey, who guided the club to the FA Carlsberg Vase Semi-Finals last season, explained why he wants to enjoy an extended run in the Ryman League Cup and Kent Senior Cup this season.

He said: “We’ve got a lot of competition. I was trying not to carry a big squad again this year but we’re pushing 22 again with the reserves.

“The lads attitude is absolutely superb. When their on the bench or not even in the squad they work hard in the reserves.  I can’t fault any one of them with their attitude towards anything and I say to them all the time when they get their chance they have to grab it.

“I’m taking both Cups seriously because we’re still in the Kent Senior and I want to stay in the two competitions.  Now I’m out of the FA Trophy and the FA Cup I need to keep everyone happy, give people games. Last night I brought a couple of reserve team players in the squad – one of them started – and that’s what I want to use it for, bring in some reserve team players to let them know what it’s all about.

“I’ve got a lot of players in the reserves who are happy and content to play for Herne Bay reserves.  My feeling is I can give them a taste of Ryman football, like a couple did last night.  That’s why I want to stay in these two cups to be able to do that with the reserves.”

Reflecting on their win on penalties, Halsey said: “Great penalties as well!  All of them were absolutely superb apart from their first one and George’s one. Apart from that they were great penalties. Both goalies got a hand to one of them here and there. It was very entertaining. Their goalie was a great cat and unfortunately it was him that missed it at the end of it.

“I’m glad to be in the next round.  Hopefully it’s another home draw and get another crowd in the ground.

Reflecting on his side’s campaign, the Bay boss said: “We’ve started off well. I set them a points tally of fifteen out of the first 10 games and we’ve got sixteen at the moment so we’ve got one in the bank.

“I’m disappointed if I’m perfectly honest not to have another couple of points.

“I’m over the moon with the players’ attitude and when things weren’t going for us at the start of the season we grounded our results. We’re gradually, slowly turning the corner and getting things right and they’re learning quickly.”

With his side only one points behind leaders Crawley Down Gatwick – who welcome second-placed Folkestone Invicta on Saturday – Halsey was asked whether his side could go on to clinch the title at the first attempt.

“I let you know that in April,” came his reply. “At the moment I’m just happy to be where we are. The season is a long, long season in this league.

“We’ve set our stall out to make ourselves quite hard to beat, which is good.

“There’s a lot of people talking about we’ve started off well and we can do this and do that. Anyone who knows me knows I’m not having any of that talk in the changing room.

“We’re setting targets that we’re trying to fulfil to see if we can do it monthly and who knows where it takes us.”

“We’re just happy to be at this level of football and we want as many points on the board as possibly to make sure we can consolidate and remain at this level, which is our main objective. Anything better than that will be a bonus.”

Halsey remained tight-lipped over the number of points that he is targeting for the end of the season, thus taking the pressure off his side as they battle it out for promotion.

“Couldn’t tell you!  We’re doing it monthly,” said Halsey. “We’re getting to the end of October and we’ve got a very hard November. Now the Ryman League Cup is out of the window and Horsham on Saturday me and Hugo (Langton) will look at it and assess what we’re expecting out of November and see where it takes us monthly.
 
 “I’m not setting any points tally. I’m pleased that we’ve got a fair few points on the board at the moment.”

Halsey admitted he always felt the club could handle life in the Ryman League.

He said: “We’ve come (Kent League) runners-up two years’ on the trot and we were very close and I’ve always said all along once we got up there we could hold our own.

“I weren’t expecting to have a massive change in personnel in the squad but that happened but we’ve had to deal with it. We’re ok. I’m glad the lads we’ve brought in have gelled well.”

Halsey hopes last night’s penalty shoot-out heroics will get the fans flocking through the turnstiles on Saturday.

“I think we’re averaging 248 roughly every game now so I’m over the moon,” he said.

“It’s not a bad ground. It’s a nice place to come and we do try to play football. Sometimes it doesn’t happen. It doesn’t go for us, but we do try to pass the ball. Last resort is to put the ball in the corners and let people chaste, but come and watch us because at least we’re going to try to play.  It’s not going to happen all the time but it’s not for the want of trying.”
 
 Visit Herne Bay’s website: www.hernebayfc.net

Herne Bay  v  Horsham
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 20^th October 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Winch’s Field, Stanley Gardens, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5SG