We're looking to play Invicta League football next year, says Metrogas manager Roy Davies

METROGAS manager Roy Davies says he wants to win the Haart of Kent County League Premier Division title in style on Saturday.

The New Eltham based club will leapfrog over leaders Hildenborough Athletic into top spot if they avoid defeat against fourth-placed Fleet Leisure on Saturday afternoon.

The club’s final game of the season has been switched to Coney Hall’s Tiepigs Lane ground because the club’s main ground at Forty Foot Way is unavailable.

Davies, 54, wants his side to clinch the title in style against their Northfleet-based opponents.

Reflecting on his side’s campaign, Davies said: “Yes, it’s been very good, very eventful.  A lot of injuries to cope with and one thing for another, but it’s been very eventful.

“A point is enough but we’d like to go out in a bit of style and win it convincingly, so that’s the aim of the game on Saturday.

“We’ve played them twice this season, drew with them both times.  3-3 in a Cup game, which we won on penalties and 1-1 a couple of weeks back at their place.

“We had two good games. They’re a good footballing side, but I think we’ve got enough intensity and momentum that we’re going to cause them all problems on Saturday and I’m looking for a good victory by a few goal margin actually.”

Davies says his side will adapt to the conditions at Coney Hall’s ground, a club that are at the foot of the division below.

“We’ve played a couple of our home fixtures at different ground so the conditions will be looked at and we’ll adapt our plans accordingly so that’s the strength of our side,” he said.  

“On a good surface we can play and if the surface is not so good we can adapt and that’s probably been our success this year.”

Davies is pleased that the season finally comes to an end on Saturday – after kicking off their campaign with a 5-2 win at Snodland Town on 18 August 2012.

He said: “I looked at some of the stats. We played six games in sixteen weeks, which is unheard off.  We could have had almost the season finished in that six week period, so it’s been very long, very protracted, but we’ve still got something to play for, which is nice at this time of the season. There’s a few sides out there with nothing to play for.”

Davies confirmed that the club have applied for promotion, to the Kent Invicta League next season.

The League will lose Woodstock Park, who withdrew with only a couple of games left of this season owing to Sittingbourne’s arrival at Woodstock next season.

Champions Phoenix Sports are expected to join the Kent Hurlimann Football League next season after losing just one league game this season.

“Yes, we’ve applied to get promoted,” said Davies.

“We’ve spoken to our grounds people who are prepared to start working on adapting the ground to meet criteria.  It won’t be ready for next year so we’re also currently talking about groundsharing next year.

“We’re hoping to go up.  We definitely want to go up with our groundshare next year to get our ground into shape for future promotions hopefully.

“The things that we need to do immediately are self-contained showers and toilet facilities in the dressing rooms. That’s all cosmetic basic stuff that we can do. The bigger picture is floodlighting etc but we are talking to our board about the possibilities and the feedback is positive, which is good.”

The Metrogas manager revealed the club are in negotiations with Kent League club Beckenham Town – but other clubs are also interested in playing on the lush carpet at Eden Park Avenue.

“This is all done by our secretary and those people, but the one that seems to hold most water would be Beckenham, but I know they’re in talks with two or three other clubs, but who they are I don’t know to be honest.

“It’s not been confirmed but as I say we’ve applied for promotion and again I believe Hildenborough have not applied for any promotion and the second team place will go up as well, so we’re looking to play Invicta League football next year hopefully.”

Metrogas  v  Fleet Leisure
Haart of Kent County League Premier Division
Saturday 18^th May 2013
Kick Off 2:45pm
at Coney Hall FC, Tiepigs Lane, Coney Hall, West Wickham, Bromley, Kent BR4 9BT