We’ve got less money than Richard Styles had last year but we’ll work with it, hence why we’ve got some experience and lots of kids, says Lordswood boss Darren Anslow

LORDSWOOD manager Darren Anslow says he faces a selection headache for Saturday’s opening Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division clash against Glebe.

Lordswood beat Isthmian League South East Division side Phoenix Sports 2-0 at their place on Monday night and Anslow used his contacts at National League side Bromley, where he is a lecturer within their Academy set-up, to field a number of promising youngsters.

One of them, Klaudio Krasniqi, 18, impressed with a dominant game in midfield and he is captain of the team ahead of the likes of centre-half Rob Gillman, 35 and holding midfielder Marlon Patterson.

Lordswood finished in tenth-place under Richard Styles last season, while Glebe had to settle for a top-eight finish.

“Tough game, tough game. I’ve looked at the league – I’ve been out of it a little while so I’m not sure where we are as a team at the moment,” said Anslow.

“It’s very hard to gage until it becomes competitive.  Listen, I’ll give Glebe respect. I’ve worked with some of their players’ before and I know their management team. They’ve got a good team there.

“That’s going to be a different kettle of fish because teams sometimes change the way they play after pre-season. We’ve drilled into them the way we play, so we’re going to play like that but when there’s three points at stake we’ll see where these boys have got, what I think they’ve got and step up to the plate.”

When asked about Lordswood’s aspirations for the season ahead, Anslow, who left Isthmian League South East Division side Whitstable Town to replace Styles’, said: “We’ll have our own little targets but if I’m honest and what I know about this league, Canterbury, Chatham, Sheppey, Beckenham and there’s one other, the other one escapes me, there’s five sides who I think will be top five but I’m hoping that we can be in that group of two or three under that and see where we end up.

“The targets set by the club to me in interview, we spoke to the chairman and I said what are you looking for and he said ‘I just want to come on a Saturday and want to come and watch it’ and I think what he’s seen during pre-season so far he is enjoying what he’s seeing.

“Listen, I’m realistic, I know what our resources are, not great if I’m honest,” he added when asked about Lordswood’s budget this season.

“We’ve got less than he had last year but we’ll work with it, hence why we’ve got some experience and lots of kids.

“It might be an issue with seven-dayers and stuff like that possibly but their bridges we’ll cross when we come to it.

“They’re actually a good group of mates as well which helps. Three or four of them have been at Bromley together (in their Academy) and the older players have been at club’s together.

“There’s a very strong Bromley connection. I work there, I’m a lecturer at their Academy, I don’t do any coaching there but I teach.”

Lordswood fielded two goalkeepers at Phoenix Sports.  They started with Rilwan Anibaba before Kristupus Burba came on in the 57^th minute.  His younger brother, Moteijus came on in midfield at the age of 15 for the final 27 minutes. 

Another Bromley Academy prospect, Alexander Brefo partnered Gillman at the heart of defence and didn’t put a foot wrong after Jai McKinlay missed the game.

“We’ve got young Moteijus Burba, whose 15. He’s going to join Bromley’s Academy next year so we’ve brought him in to have some experience of men’s football to move him on a little bit quicker,” revealed Anslow.

“He’s acquitted himself really well but we need to get International clearance for him but for the last half-hour he doesn’t look like a fifteen-year-old playing against an Isthmian League side.

“The future’s bright, the future’s orange, the future’s bright.”

Anslow, Gillman and Owen Price will be meeting on Friday night to select their squad to face Glebe on the opening day of the new season.

“When we have our meeting on Friday night, we have a hell of a lot of problems if I’m honest.  I thought I did know my starting 11 before the Phoenix Sports game but I’m not sure if I do now and that’s an honest answer,” added Anslow, ahead of his first game in charge of Lordswood.

Visit Lordswood’s website: www.lordswoodfc.club

Lordswood  v  Glebe
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Saturday 3 August 2019
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Martyn Grove, North Dane Way, Chatham, Kent ME5 8YE