It's hard for a Kent side to get out of this league, says Hythe Town boss Scott Porter

HYTHE TOWN boss Scott Porter says it’s hard for a Kent side to clinch promotion from the Ryman League Division One South.



Porter’s side claimed a 1-0 victory over second-placed Dulwich Hamlet, courtesy of Craig Cloke’s winner in the last nine minutes at a wet and windy Reachfields Stadium.

Referee Graham Kane arrived at the stadium at 1:15pm and took around thirty minutes to finally decide that the pitch was playable.

And Hythe Town were rewarded with a victory that delighted Porter and Maidstone United boss Jay Saunders, who along with Ray Turner, Clive Walker (of Faversham Town) and Hythe-based Folkestone Invicta boss Neil Cugley was in attendance as numerous games were hit by waterlogged pitches.

Maidstone United remain six points clear of Dulwich Hamlet in first place, but Gavin Rose’s side have now eaten up one of their three games in hand over The Stones.

Hythe Town remain in fourth-place in the table, with 59 points from 33 games, two points behind third-placed Faversham, ten behind Maidstone United.

Porter, whose target is to reach the play-offs and if he doesn’t then it will seem like failure, takes his side to struggling Horsham next Saturday.  The Hornets crashed to a 4-0 defeat at Ramsgate yesterday and remain in the bottom three, with 31 points from 32 games, three points clear of Three Bridges, who occupy the sole relegation berth.

”Sometimes they’re the worst games,” warned Porter, whose side are now unbeaten in eight games, have won their last four games 1-0 and have now gone 561 minutes since conceding their last goal.

”We’ve had Walton Casuals, Three Bridges, they’re fighting for their lives and they’re difficult sides to play against. They’re hard teams to beat but in this league, it’s a funny old league. Anyone can beat each other. It’s going to be tough.”

Porter then takes his side to Herne Bay on Wednesday 27 March.

”Bogey side!  We never seem to come out on top,” said Porter.

Four of their last nine league games of the season are Kent derbies – at Herne Bay, at home to Faversham on 30 April; at Folkestone Invicta on 1 April; and at struggling Whitstable Town on 13 April.

Kent sides must play fourteen Kent derbies in their 42-match league campaign and although the games put bums on seats, Porter said: “Very tough and that’s why it’s hard for a Kent side to get out of this league because there’s so many Kent derbies.

”They can go either way.  In these games it doesn’t matter where you are in the league positions, so it’s going to be tough.

”We’ve got a tough run-in, but sometimes that benefits us because we do perform against the top teams, like you saw yesterday.”

Hythe Town are without a midweek game so Porter will work his players hard during two training sessions, on Tuesday and on Thursday night.

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

Horsham  v  Hythe Town
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 23 March 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Goring’s Mead, Brighton Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 5BP