We have to try to get away from the bottom of the table, says Whitstable Town boss Nicky Southall

WHITSTABLE TOWN boss Nicky Southall wants his side to carry on their momentum from their impressive win over Worthing going into their next two games.



The Oystermen moved nine points clear of the Ryman League Division One South relegation zone following their 4-0 win over the Rebels at The Belmont.

The club appealed for help from supporters’ to help clear snow off the pitch and they were rewarded with a fine victory, that puts them on 24 points from as many games and in eighteenth-place in the table, nine points clear of basement side Three Bridges, who occupy the sole relegation spot.

”It’s great to win the game first and foremost,” said Southall.

”The result was a good achievement in itself. A nice clean sheet.  It was a battling team performance I thought.

”It was a difficult pitch on Saturday at home. It was touch and go whether our game would be on. We passed the ball really well and we created three fabulous goals. One was an own goal. The way we played and the way we opened them up was brilliant.

”We’ve got a very talented bunch in that dressing room and they’ve got to go out and show it and show everybody that they can play.

”In a funny sort of way I think the weather seemed to help us as well. After three straight defeats we’ve brought a few players in and we’ve had some decent training sessions for them to bond and it worked.”

The former Gillingham ace has challenged his side to pick up three points down at Horsham on Tuesday night.

The Hornets went down to a 1-0 home defeat to Herne Bay at the weekend, courtesy of Bryon Walker’s goal.

”I expect a very difficult away trip,” said Southall. “The pitch will be heavy. I think it was heavy at the weekend when they played Herne Bay.  It’s not going to be easy but no game is.  You’ve got to go out there and earn the right and if we play like we did on Saturday then hopefully we can get a decent result. If we don’t then we’ll come unstuck.

”That’s what we need to do, be a lot more consistent in our away performances and try to get on some momentum.”

Southall added: ”It’s a very good game for us on the back of a 4-0 win and we go into the Horsham game with a bit off confidence that we did on Saturday.

”It’s an old cliché, I don’t like using them – momentum, whatever you want to call it, confidence, comes flooding back. If we can get that back on our memories from the Saturday result, the way that they played.

Whitstable Town then welcome Crawley Down Gatwick to Belmont Road on Saturday.

John Maggs’ side remain in fifth-place in the table despite going down to a 2-1 defeat at Folkestone Invicta at the weekend.

Former Whitstable midfielder Dane Luchford opened his goalscoring account with a goal inside the opening five minutes, but the Sussex side levelled within two minutes through former Tonbridge Angels and Folkestone Invicta striker Luke Blewden, before Richard Atkins slid home the 34^th minute winner for Neil Cugley’s side.

”It was my first game in charge,” recalled Southall.  “We went there and drew 1-1. We gave them a really good game. They went 1-0 up and we came storming back second half and we definitely deserved three points but we got one point.

”It was a good start from myself in my reign as manager.”

Southall added: “They won’t be easy because they’re up there for a reason. They’ve been decent this year, there’s no way we’ll underestimate them.  We’ve just got to go out and put in the type of performance we did against Worthing.

”Worthing were there or there abouts in the play-off’s like Crawley. We just have to go out there and take the game to them. We’ve said that to the boys, especially at home. You’ve got to take games to the opposition and hopefully that’s what we will do.”

Southall said the enforced weather break has done his side no harm at all.

”I said to the boys’ on Saturday, it’s great to see green grass again after it seems like an eternity when there were no games with the snow, the frost and the bad conditions.

”I think it helped us with the snow for the bonding and the togetherness. 

”One result isn’t going to stop me from believing we should be getting more of these results because the talent in the dressing room, but no one earns you the right to win games, you’ve got to earn them yourself.

”All these games that have been cancelled recently there seems to be a fixture pile up.  The squad will be tested like before.  There will be ups and downs along the way.  We have to try to get away from the bottom of the table as soon as possible and the sooner we do that the better.  It lifts a cloud off everybody’s shoulder.

”It’s not nice to work in those circumstances. You want to go out and try to produce your best football.  The only way you can do that is get these results and back-to-back wins and hopefully things progress from there.

”We’re not kidding ourselves. Saturday’s result was great. We’ve got to move on now and forget about that and move on to the Horsham game.”

Visit Whitstable Town’s website: www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk  

Horsham  v  Whitstable Town
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 29^th January 2013
Kick Off 7:30pm
At Goring’s Mead, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 5BP