We just need to progress year on year, says Corinthian boss Matt Longhurst

CORINTHIAN manager Matt Longhurst says he wants to better last season’s top four finish.


The Fawkham-based outfit finished in fourth-place in the Kent League last season and they were defeated in the Macron Kent League Cup Final for the second successive season.

Corinthian opened their pre-season campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win away to Kent Invicta League side Sutton Athletic yesterday.

Sutton Athletic contained Corinthian during the first half as both sides kept the ball on the deck, but Corinthian were the stronger side during the second half and goals from strikers Peter Afolayan and the diminutive Oscar Paxton, 18, gave Corinthian a comfortable win on a hot day at Lower Road, Hextable.

Longhurst  revealed that striker Alfie May, 20, who scored 32 goals for the club last season, is staying at the club, despite interest from higher-league clubs.

“Alfie May has decided to stay with us,” revealed Longhurst, who was without his star striker for their opening game.

“Keeping Alfie May was a massive plus. He had a host of clubs offering him money, this, that and the other. Unbelievably we’ve kept him.”

Longhurst has pulled off a coup by signing striker Jack Pallen, who arrives from Ryman League Division One North Chatham Town and central defender Sam Groombridge, 24, who has played for the likes of Margate and Maidstone United.

“Adding Jack Pallen into the mix up front gives us a good mix up front,” said Longhurst, 32.
 
“We felt we needed to add a few more goals.  Our goals against record for the last two years has been second and third best in the league so we feel if we want to push on and finish higher than we did last year we need to add more goals and hopefully Jack can do that for us.”

Defender Daniel Bent, 17, is no longer at the club because he has signed a two-year scholarship with League One side Gillingham and midfielder Chris Kinnear has been offered a trial by his dad at Conference South side Dover Athletic.

Longhurst said: “We’ve brought Dan Bent through the youth team, reserves and first team and he’s gone and signed for Gillingham and his photograph is on Gillingham’s website, talking about him very highly so that’s a big plus for us.

“Chris Kinnear has gone training with Dover at the moment. I don’t know whether he’ll end up at Dover. Obviously he’s dad’s the manager there which is fair enough. He just felt he wanted to make at least one step up.  I’m a little bit disappointed (that he’s left us) but having said that it gives some of the younger ones to come through and play games.

“We’ve found a young lad, a left-back, Harry Goodwin, a great player who has come out of Dartford’s Academy. He’s going to be a future star. We’ve got high hopes for him.  We’re going to see if we can get one of those come through again.”

Longhurst added: “We don’t pay a budget. I think we’ve sort of dispelled that. I think there’s a way and means of doing things and if you do things properly, to be able to bring the likes of Jack Pallen into the club. That shows that we’re doing things the right way.

“Jack Pallen and Sam Groombridge have been paid for their football right the way through their senior career and they’ve come here to do things properly.

“Sam’s come on the coaching staff as well, which is an added plus to us.”

Looking ahead at the season ahead, Longhurst wants another excellent campaign.

“We just need to progress year on year,” said Longhurst.  “Since I’ve come into the club we said year on year we seem to get better so finishing fourth we need to go to third now.  How achievable is that I don’t know.

“We want to improve but we’re certainly not going to start saying we’re certainly going to do things and do that.  We’ll do that at the end of April, beginning of May and see where we are.”

Meanwhile, The FA Cup with Budweiser, draws were made on Friday morning at Wembley Stadium, and Corinthian will travel to their Southern Counties East Football League rivals Beckenham Town in the Extra Preliminary Round on 17 August.

When asked his thoughts on the draw, Longhurst said: “You know what, it’s a little bit frustrating!  We’ve drawn Beckenham in the Vase away last year, we’ve drawn them at home.

“I like to play different teams but the biggest plus is the pitch over there. It suits us. It’s a fantastic place to go and play football.  I imagine this time of the year, hopefully the sun will be out and it will be a great opportunity to play on their pitch.

“It’s a difficult game. I don’t know whether they’ve changed or not or kept the same side from last year, I haven’t really heard too much about that.

“It’s always a difficult game against Beckenham, especially over there.  We’ll look forward to it but it’s a little bit disappointing in terms of the draw.  I think they’d say the same, you’d like to play someone different that you’re playing in the league, but we’ll take the fixtures that are thrown at us.”

Corinthian’s second friendly is at home to Ryman League Division One South side Leatherhead next Saturday.

Visit Corinthian’s website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/corinthianfc

Corinthian  v  Leatherhead
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 13^th July 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Gay Dawn Farm, Valley Road, Longfield, Kent DA3 8LY