The season so far is about as good as we could have expected, says Eltham Palace's Chris McCarthy

Thursday 27th November 2014

ELTHAM PALACE assistant manager Chris McCarthy says his side are relishing the underdog tag ahead of Saturday’s home Kent Senior Trophy tie against Hollands & Blair.

Eltham Palace are sitting in eighth-place in the Pain & Glory Sports Kent Invicta League table, having won four, drawn five and lost four league games this season.

Paul Piggott’s Hollands & Blair side, meanwhile, have dropped down to third-place, having collected eleven wins and three defeats in their league campaign and the Gillingham-based outfit are four points adrift of leaders Lydd Town, but with a game in hand.

It’s the best campaign that Eltham Palace have had at this level and McCarthy is delighted.

He said: “If we’re being honest, the season so far is about as good as we could have expected.

“It would be nice to be top of the league or there abouts, but to start the pre-season with a completely new side and only have a squad of sixteen-seventeen players now, it’s tough.

“All the lads we’ve signed have taken on board the way Charlie (McCarthy) and myself like to play football and we have a good bit of banter in the changing room, we also have a good work ethic.

“When you get injuries, work commitments and loss of form, it takes its toll on results, this the last three games are two defeats and a draw from sides below us in the league.”

Looking ahead to Saturday’s Kent Senior Trophy Second Round tie, McCarthy said: “It’s a big game for us to see how far we have come as a team.

“A few weeks ago we played Hollands & Blair away in the league, losing 3-2, with them scoring two goals in the last eight minutes.

“On the day we deserved more, but showed a bit of inexperience at the end getting bullied by the long ball under our cross bar.

“We are the underdogs but if we can play football the way we did in the last round, winning 3-2 at Fisher, we will give them a good game.

“We’ve got a full strength side on Saturday, so let’s hope our form over the last few weeks is a blip and we can progress into the hat for the next round of the Cup.”

Eltham Palace presently rent Oxford Road, in Sidcup, the former home for Cray Wanderers and Seven Acre & Sidcup.

The ground does not have floodlights and McCarthy revealed the club is looking for a new base.

McCarthy said: “Off the field our chairman (Neil Proctor) is trying to sort a permanent home ground out for the club, along with some other things that are needed to be done to keep everything Charlie and I have started moving forward.”

Eltham Palace v Hollands & Blair
Kent Senior Trophy Sponsored by Darenth Print & Design Second Round
Saturday 29^th November 2014
Kick Off 1:30pm
At Oxford Road, Sidcup, Kent DA14 6LW