My youngsters will get a chance, says Dockers boss

Sunday 17th January 2010

ERITH TOWN boss Steve O’Boyle says he will give his youngsters a chance, after deciding to ship out some experienced players that didn't perform, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Dockers played their first league game for seven weeks yesterday, going down to a 1-0 home defeat to Deal Town, a result that leaves them in a disappointing tenth place in the Bulmers Cider Kent League table with five wins and three draws from their 12 league outings.

“A little bit unlucky really, the first half was pretty even” O’Boyle told www.kentishfootball.co.uk. “The second half we came out, we’ve had some good chances, two or three one-on-ones that we’ve missed.

“They didn’t look like scoring to me but they scored from a corner with about eight minutes to go. A bit unlucky but it’s one of those games really.

“I think Deal really came down and set out their stall, worked hard, a very physical side and they’ve come away with the points so they must be really happy with the win.”

O’Boyle criticised the Kent League for not giving his side any games over the Christmas period as the Kent League shut down, and the wintry weather conditions didn’t help either.

“I won’t say it hasn’t affected us,” he said. “I think there’s going to be a lot of teams in the same boat as we are.

“It’s getting stupid. We’re so far behind other teams. It was important we got a game on yesterday. I think we’ve got four games in hand on some teams and it is getting a little bit silly.

“We were trying to do as much as we can, training wise, and the only consolation was we did take a reserve team game the other week against Deal reserves, which we needed because that was just after Christmas and we took the game and there was a few players looking a little bit rusty.

“The fitness yesterday was ok but it’s like starting again from pre-season - it’s like a Christmas break isn’t it?”

Like a London Red Bus, you wait ages for one and two come along at once - and this is the case for Erith Town, who travel to Beckenham Town on Tuesday night in the quarter-finals of the Kent League Cup.

But O’Boyle feels the first leg tie at Eden Park Avenue may fall victim to a waterlogged pitch.

“Yes, we are preparing for Tuesday night away at Beckenham, but I’m looking at the weather and I don’t know what it’s going to be like Monday or Tuesday but I’ve heard reports their pitch is very wet and more rain it could be off again,” he said.

But the former Thamesmead Town reserve team manager admits his side need to lift the gloom and improve matters on the pitch.

He said: “We’re going through a little bit of a sticky patch. We were knocked out of the cup to Lordswood the other week on penalties, another defeat yesterday.

“I brought in a few experienced players in the summer and during the course of the season and I will say to you it really hasn’t worked out.

“Some of the youngsters that have come in have done a decent job for us and really have been kept out of the side by the experienced players who we’ve brought in.

“What we’ve decided is it’s a little bit of a rebuilding thing for us at the moment and we’re going to give some of these youngsters a go because they deserve it. Their attitudes have been unbelievable. They turn up to every training session and they do what you ask them to do. Some experienced players miss the training and are stuck in their ways, so we’re going to give some of the youngsters a go.”

When asked if his budget has been cut, O’Boyle replied, “No! Not at all! The chairman’s decent, the budget hasn’t been cut but we’re looking to re-jig it a little bit. Why can’t we build these youngsters up to be decent players? They’ve got lots of potential and when they’ve played for us this year they’ve been good and we have got some good youngsters.”

With six teams below Erith Town in the league table, O’Boyle vented his frustration about his side’s lack of progress this term.

“I had high hopes this year,” he said. “With the side, the squad we produced in pre-season we was looking to be pushing top three. It hasn’t worked out yet.

“Disappointed? Of course I am. But at the end of the day we’re not going to sulk about it or feel down in the dumps.

“We’re going through a sticky patch. I honestly believe we’re going to come through the other end.

“We are in the quarter-final against Beckenham and we’ve got to go there and bounce back on Tuesday night.

“We’ve played there already, they beat us five-nil, so we’ve got to make sire that we’re on top of our game and be right up for it on Tuesday night and come away there with a result.

“We’ve had a couple of blows of late. You’ve got to come out the other end, haven’t you?”

O’Boyle did, however, pay tribute to midfielder Jamie Kempster, who decided to retire, over the Christmas period, at the age of 36.

“He was only with us for a few months but what I will say to you was his attitude and everything he done for that short space of time was brilliant,” said O’Boyle.

“I haven’t got a bad word to say about him. He was at every training session, his preparation for every game was spot on.

“If you were a youngster and wanted to do well in the game you’ve got to look up to people like him. He’s played at Wembley and he’s won Kent League’s and all that.

“He was brilliant for our club and I was absolutely gutted when he decided to hang his boots up. He decided it was time. I’m not going to argue with the man. He knows when it’s time and that was it.

“He was brilliant for us. He was one of the experienced players who I would have love to have kept - a top man!

“I honestly believe he’s got so much more to offer the game if he comes back. I know he’s got a few things to sort out at the moment and he just wants to have a little bit of time out, which I don’t blame him as he’s been around for about twenty years or so.

“But I honestly believe he’s got so much to offer the game. He’ll come back and be a decent coach or something like that.

“The players look up to him and he’s got a lot of respect. He’s got an aurora around him.”

Visit Erith Town’s website: www.erithtown.com

Beckenham Town v Erith Town

Bulmers Cider Kent League Cup Quarter-Final First Leg

Tuesday 19th January 2010

Kick Off 7:30pm

At Eden Park Avenue, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1JT