I want to keep a succesful squad together, says O'Connell

Saturday 29th May 2010

MARGATE boss Iain O’Connell says he is looking to build stability in his first full season at Hartsdown Park, writes Stephen McCartney.

O’Connell’s squad is starting to take shape. His first summer arrivals were former Dover Athletic defenders, Craig Cloke and Laurence Ball, and former Dartford striker, Allan Tait arrived on Friday.

The former Deal Town, Folkestone Invicta, Crawley Town and Eastbourne Borough striker signed for the Darts last summer but injuries restricted him to 24 appearances in his only season at Princes Park, scoring 5 goals and was one of six players released by Darts boss Tony Burman, despite comfortably clinching the Ryman Premier League title.

The club have confirmed that at present Ty Benjamin, Sam Groombridge, John Keister, Aaron Lacy, Tommy Osborne, James Pinnock, Curtis Robinson, Jay Saunders, Dan Stubbs (upon his return from Iceland), Jamie Turner, Wayne Wilson and Jake Winchombe have also signed for the reprieved Ryman Premier League club with next season in mind.

Veteran Keister, who was suspended by the club during last season, will also act as O’Connell’s assistant.

“I think the three signings we’ve made are big signings to be honest,” O’Connell told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“I wanted Taity for a while, I wanted him last year but Dartford weren’t willing to let him go, obviously they were going for the title so they couldn’t do that.

“I’m really, really pleased to get him on board. He’s a good target man, got a wealth of experience and I think he’s going to help the lads.

“He’s defiantly a good player, I wouldn’t have signed him if he wasn’t. He’s a great target man, it gets into his feet, he won’t give it away, plays it into players very well. I’m pleased he’s on board.”

O’Connell wants a solid squad for the majority of next season, unlike the swinging door policy at Hartsdown Park last season under Terry Yorath and Mark Butler before him.

O’Connell said: “I’d like to get things sorted and if I can get the whole squad in before pre-season that would be brilliant, but I doubt that will happen because there will be a couple of players who get released from clubs late so we’ll see what happens.”

“When I first got there I learnt I needed a lot of new players. The team that were there wasn’t good enough that’s why they were in the relegation zone.

“The signings I made have made us stronger but I knew I had to strengthen at the back, in the middle of the park and up front.

“I look at that squad I finished with last season and it won’t be finishing fourth-from-bottom either. It was a strong side and the games we lost at the end of the season by the odd goal were games we should have won really.

When asked about how many players he will utilise in his squad next season, O’Connell replied, “Well, I don’t really know, it’s not a set amount really, but what I don’t want to happen is what happened last year with Margate getting through an absolute multitude of players.

“I think before I got there they got through 50 players or something so I don’t want that happening again.

“The thing is success brings that (stability) and hopefully I can get that with a team and keep a successful squad together.”

Visit Margate’s website: www.margate-fc.com