We're aiming for as high as we can get, says Holmesdale boss John-Paul Collier

HOLMESDALE player-manager John-Paul Collier says his side’s style of football can help reach the top-five this season.

The Bromley-based club finished in tenth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League last season and they kick-off their campaign with the visit of newcomers Lingfield on Saturday.

Lingfield have made the switch from the Sussex County League side along with Crowborough Athletic, while Croydon return from the Combined Counties League and Erith & Belvedere suffered relegation after a miserable campaign in the Ryman League Division One North.

“They’ve come across so they’re going to be a surprise to everyone,” said Collier, 27.

“Luckily we’re at home and we’ve said to the lads this year it has to be somewhere that teams hate coming.

“Teams know we’re going to play a certain style of football but they have to hate coming here.

“We’re not going to let teams have the ball. We’re going to press the ball and be the ones dominating possession, controlling the game and that’s what we want when they come here and they’ll get a shock because if the boys put in the effort like they did against Dulwich (despite losing 4-0) then I fully expect us to go out there and get a win on Saturday.”

The Dalers then travel to Park View Road on Tuesday, 12 August, to tackle Matt Longhurst’s Erith & Belvedere.

“A friend of mine, Matt Longhurst is manager there,” said Collier.

“He’s got a great style of football that I envy and I’m sure they’re going to do really, really well this year.

“I can’t wait to pit my wits against him again and see how we got on. That will be a fun game.”

Holmesdale lock horns with league rivals Tunbridge Wells in The FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round on 16 August.

“Tunbridge Wells are a very good club,” said Collier.

“We had a great game against them actually at the end of last season, which was two-all at their place.

“I know the lads are buzzing for that game. They cannot wait to play them. We’re very excited for that.

“Our first seven or eight games are extremely tough but we’re fully going into that wanting to win that game.  Everyone will say they want to win a game but we’ll play our style of football, want to dominate the game, want to keep possession of the ball. We’ll give it our best shot and see how we get on.”

Collier is targeting big things for his talented young side at Oakley Road.

The midfielder said: “It’s a work in progress.  The majority of the lads are young, we’ve got a handful of more experienced players, that’s it really. It’s mainly kids but they’re learning our system. It’s a year into it now. This is the start of our second year.

“We push higher by finishing higher. This season there’s more teams in the league but there’s more teams that are expected to finish higher in the league.

“I would put seven or eight teams in that. We’ve set our target of top five. That is going to be extremely difficult with the teams that are in this league now but that’s the way we push forward.

“There’s no point going in saying we’ll finish tenth or ninth. We’ll try and finish top five. If we finish just outside of that, maybe we’ll get sixth or seventh but we’re aiming as high as we can get.

“We’re realistic. We’re not going we’re definitely going to win the league. That’s not going to happen but we’re trying to finish as high as we can and keep progressing youngsters and hopefully we can move some on and we can develop as a club and that’s the way forward for this club I think.”

Visit Holmesdale’s website:  www.pitchero.com/clubs/holmesdalefc

Holmesdale  v  Lingfield
Southern Counties East Football League
Saturday 9^th August 2014
Kick Off 3:00pm
At 68 Oakley Road, Bromley, Kent BR2 8HQ