Our grail is to win the Kent League and anything else is a bonus, says Herne Bay boss Simon Halsey

HERNE BAY boss Simon Halsey says his side could go the whole of their Kent League campaign undefeated – replicating the great Sittingbourne team of twenty-one years’ ago.


Sittingbourne won 32 and drew eight of their 40 games, securing 108 points in the process when they won the Kent League Division One title during the 1990-91 campaign.
 
Herne Bay have won 16 and drawn two of their 18 games this season and are thirteen points clear of Erith Town and with twelve league games remaining are destined to clinch a deserved promotion into the Ryman League.

Herne Bay are also in the semi-finals of the Kent League Cup and look forward to a home clash against Larkhall Athletic in the last sixteen of The FA Carlsberg Vase on Saturday 11 February.

The last manager in the Kent League to win the treble was Herne Bay boss Tommy Sampson during the 1996-1997 campaign when he brought the Kent League, Kent League Cup and Kent Senior Trophy to Winch’s Field.

Halsey said: “I don’t know about winning at Wembley, we’ll take that one when it comes.  I just want to, as I’ve said before, everyone knows what our grail is and that’s to win the Kent League and that’s what we’ll be going for first and foremost.

“Whatever we get after that will be a bonus.  That’s what we’re driving for.  Our form’s good at the moment (with eight wins on the spin) so long may it continue.

“Full credit to my lads for continuing this run after all their money’s been cut.  I can assure you there’s no money down there, so full credit to my players.”

Halsey takes his Herne Bay side to seventh-placed VCD Athletic on Saturday and then to sixth-placed Tunbridge Wells the following weekend and will only focus on The FA Vase tie until six days before the visit of Larkhall Athletic.

“We want to keep winning,” said Halsey.  “We’re not losing games.  All we have to do as a team now is not lose games so if we can do that we’ll be somewhere near it hopefully.”

Looking forward to their trip to Oakwood to play Ricky Bennett’s VCD, the Herne Bay boss said: “Tough again! A lovely pitch, it will suit us.  I’ve got everyone fit.  Everyone will have a rest now this week, they won’t be training again.  I’ve given them the rest of the week off and get their legs right for Saturday and we’ll be going up there to make sure we don’t lose the game.”

Seven days later Tunbridge Wells play Herne Bay for the first time in the league.

Martin Larkin’s side suffered a devastating 1-0 home defeat to St Ives Town in The FA Carlsberg Vase Fourth Round last weekend, meaning Herne Bay are now the sole Kent side remaining in the last sixteen of the competition.

“We’ve got two big games in a week and we must go there and we must not lose either of them.  I’m not saying we must win them both but the big thing is we don’t lose them,” added Halsey.

Herne Bay have won 25 competitive games this season, have drawn three and only Erith Town (FA Cup) and Sevenoaks Town (Kent Senior Trophy) have beaten them this season.

Herne Bay are the only side to keep a clean sheet against Erith & Belvedere this season following their 4-0 win last night in the second leg of their Macron Kent League Cup Quarter-Final tie at Park View Road.

When asked whether they can remain undefeated throughout their 30-game league campaign, Halsey said: “Sittingbourne done it in 1990-1991. It’s a tall order, a tall order, but we’ll give it a go.

“I’m not saying we’re gonna.   I’m not being cocky or anything but we’re in a good position and we’ll give it a go.

“The day we lose, we’ll lose and we’ll dust ourselves off and go again as we’ve done before when we lost to Sevenoaks and Erith Town.

“Someone will (beat us) one day. I don’t know who it will be.  I’m not stupid enough.  It will happen.  Whoever it will be, it will be.”

Visit Herne Bay’s website: www.hernebayfc.net

VCD Athletic  v  Herne Bay
Kent Hurlimann Football League
Saturday 28^th January 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Oakwood, Old Road, Crayford, Kent DA1 4DN