Next year we'll be looking to win the league, says Beckenham Town coach Dean Harrison

BECKENHAM TOWN coach Dean Harrison has put pressure on his players already by saying the club are going to win the Kent League next season.



Beckenham put in an good performance during their comfortable 3-0 win over Erith Town in front of a good crowd of 82 at Eden Park Avenue on Monday night.

And Harrison has put pressure on Jason Huntley and his side by insisting they will claim the title in twelve months’ time, despite sitting in sixth-place going into their last remaining five games of this season.

“When I came in, it’s my first season here, I was looking for a top-five finish this year, but the way we’ve played this year we should be a lot better,” said Harrison.

“We should easily be in second place.  We’ve dropped too many points.  We’ve drawn too many games, which is something we need to work on for next year.”

One plus point has been the goalscoring talents of winger Jake Hobbs, who scored his 27^th goal of the season against Erith Town on Monday.

Harrison added: “We just need to finish games off and be a little bit more clinical.”

Huntley has implemented changes in team personnel over past weeks and Harrison said: “I think it’s good to bring in players, who were maybe getting a little bit complacent.  We’ve brought in a couple additions, we’ve shook the squad up a little bit.   People are fighting for places again and it’s worked well.”

Beckenham travel to Woodstock Sports on Saturday, before ending their campaign with games against  Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks Town, Woodstock Sports and they finish their campaign with a trip to Herne Bay.

Looking ahead to the battle against Ben Taylor’s Woodstock side on Saturday, Harrison said: “It will be another tough battle down there.   We know what we get in these places.  They’re big and strong.  It’s going to be tough, so we’ll go down there with the same intentions to play football and try and win the game.”

Harrison added: “We’re always looking to win.  We always think we can win.  We’re strong enough to beat any side in this league.

When asked about his aims for this and next season, Harrison cranked up the pressure on the Reds by saying, “it’s tough but what I’m trying to drive into the boys is like we just said – I was looking for a top-five finish.

“It’s a brand new squad from last year.  Some young boys have come in.  We’ve done fantastically well.  We’ve gelled well as a unit.  That’s still my ambition until the end of the season. That’s what I’ve wanted to do, finish as high as we can in that top five.

“Next year we’ll be looking to win the league,” added Harrison.  “We’ll be definitely pushing with what we’ve got here. 

“I think we play the best football in this league by far.  I think we need to be a little bit stronger. We need to be a bit more disciplined at times, a little bit more professional, but I think we’ve got all the tools here to finish top.  I don’t see why not.”

Meanwhile, Beckenham’s away game at Sevenoaks Town, which was scheduled for Easter Monday, has been re-arranged for Wednesday, 18 April.

Visit Beckenham Town’s website: www.beckenhamtownfc.co.uk  

Woodstock Sports  v  Beckenham Town
Kent Hurlimann Football League
Easter Saturday, 7^th April 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Woodstock Park, Broadoak Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8AG