We're not over the white line yet, says Herne Bay boss Simon Halsey

HERNE BAY boss Simon Halsey says the title race is not over as they go into tomorrow’s home clash against Lordswood sitting 12 points clear at the top of the Kent Hurlimann Football League table.

The Winch’s Field outfit remain unbeaten in seventeen league games this season and are looking forward to tomorrow’s clash against Jason Lillis’ side.

Halsey said: “I’m just delighted in the way we’re going about our business really.   We’re keeping our heads down and getting on with the job.

“We’re just going into every match with an organised team, a game plan and it’s working at the moment.

“Lordswood are coming up tomorrow for the 18^th game and they’ll come down to beat us.  Everyone wants to come to beat Herne Bay and every manager wants to go into every game and win.  If they don’t then there’s something seriously wrong!”

Halsey’s Herne Bay have lost out on the Kent League title to Faversham Town and Hythe Town in the last two years’, finishing as runners-up, but Halsey admitted he is willing to win ugly if it gets them over the white line in first place at the end of the season.

“We’re perhaps not playing some of our fluent football we’ve played in the two years’ I’ve been here,” he admitted.

“We’re resilient and strong and don’t let things fluster us. 

“We’ve got less pressure on us and we grind games out, even when we’re not playing to our best. 

“Team’s play us with one up top and loads of players’ behind the ball to try to stop us scoring.  I can’t understand why someone doesn’t have a go at us.” 

Halsey admitted he would rather be the side being hunted than being the hunters.

“I’ve said it for about three months now,” he said.  “There’s a massive difference in my players’ this season.

“I didn’t take over until November in the first season so I only had a short space of time to catch Faversham and that was pressure as we had to win every game to get near them.

“Last season we had to win every game to try to catch up with Hythe and there is a lot of pressure going into every game knowing that you can’t afford to draw.

“I’ve noticed a big change from my players’ this year, they’re relaxed and confident going into every game.  They’re not cocky. I won’t let anyone in my changing room be cocky.  We’re a good side, but they know going into every game it’s not necessary to win every game at the moment.

“That may change. I’m no fool.  I’ve been there before with Whitstable down the road. We didn’t lose in 22 games that season and we lost to VCD at home and we capitulated after that and VCD went to Tunbridge Wells on a Wednesday night to get a result and didn’t get their result and that gave us the league.”

“We’re far from thinking it’s over.  There’s some big games coming up for us.  Other teams have to play each other.  It’s the halfway stage really.  We’ve done well but we’re not over that white line yet.  No one is celebrating – I won’t let them!”

Visit Herne Bay’s website: www.hernebayfc.net  

Herne Bay  v  Lordswood
Kent Hurlimann Football League
Saturday 14^th January 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Winch’s Field, Stanley Gardens, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5SG