We thrive on being the underdogs, says Hythe Town boss Scott Porter

HYTHE TOWN boss Scott Porter says his side will relish the underdog tag when they line up against Dartford in the Kent Senior Cup Final.


The Darts booked their place in the showpiece final following their impressive 3-1 win over Charlton Athletic, in front of 1,682 fans at Princes Park Stadium, last night.

Tony Burman’s side needed extra-time to beat Folkestone Invicta and Tonbridge Angels in their first two rounds, but their fitness against full-time opposition was what stood out against a Charlton Athletic side who fielded five players’ with first team experience.

The Darts, who thrashed Bromley 4-1 in last year’s final, a game that proved to be Hayden Bird’s last game in charge at Hayes Lane, are the favourites to land their eleventh Kent Senior Cup title.

Hythe Town, who edged past Erith Town in the first round, pulled off their first shock when they came away from Stonebridge Road with a glorious 4-1 victory after extra-time to knock out Blue Square Bet (Conference) Premier outfit Ebbsfleet United.

But Hythe’s greatest result of the season came in the semi-finals when they pulled off yet another giant-killing in the form of humiliating a strong Dover Athletic side, the Conference South side suffering a 3-0 defeat at Reachfields Stadium four weeks’ ago.

The Kent County Football Association have yet decided the date or the venue for the Final, but you can say that Princes Park will be favourite, especially as a crowd of 2,025 turned out to watch last year’s final.

Porter, 32, said: “We’ve been underdogs against Ebbsfleet and Dover and it goes in our favour.   We seem to thrive on that.

“Since the time I’ve been manager we’ve done a few scalps in my time.  Why can’t it continue?  Hopefully my boys will be up for it, like we were against Dover and Ebbsfleet games.  Being underdogs paves in our favour.

“Our season is still alive. We’ve got a Cup final to look forward to and finish as high as we can in our first time in Ryman South.”

Hythe Town are presently sitting in tenth-place in the Ryman League Division One South table, with 49 points from 34 games and Porter was pleased with their 3-0 win away to Walton & Hersham last night.

Porter, meanwhile, wasn’t best pleased with the playing surface at Stompond Lane.

He said: “Poor pitch, rock hard. It was like the last game of the season, the way the pitch was. It wasn’t very good but we adapted to it and the boys’ put in a great performance.

“That’s what we need to kick start the rest of our campaign really.  We’ve had a five-game blip.  No wins in five after a good run up until the Whitehawk game.

“It was a great performance to be fair.  They’re on a decent run, they’re a big, strong side and after the run of five games without a win we’ve gone there and turned in a great team performance, full of heart and passion, which I wanted out of the lads’ and hopefully it will bring confidence and kick-start the remaining games and the Cup Final.”

Porter admitted the season has been a learning curve for everybody at Reachfields Stadium.

He said: “It’s been a learning curve for all of us, myself and the players, people around the club, the directors, the chairman and the secretary.

“We’ve held our own.  We’ve had a good run at times and we’ve had a few blips, but every team had their blips.  If we didn’t have any blips, we’d be top of the league, like Bognor, people like that.

“We haven’t been mugged off in the league. We’ve held our own and we’re learning all the time.

“If we can finish as high as possible and upset a few people along the way and we’ve got a Cup Final to look forward to.  It’s been a very good season for us.”

Eastbourne Town, who lie in 12^th place in the table, with 42 points from 34 games, visit Reachfields Stadium on Saturday. 

Hythe came away from the east Sussex coast with a 2-1 win back in September and Porter recalled: “We played them a long time ago now when we were down there in the first few games of the season.

“They’ve beaten the likes of Bognor.  They’ve got a lot of pace in the side.  Hopefully we can build confidence from last night and I’m sure the lads will as it was a great team performance and hopefully we can continue that on Saturday and get a little run going until the end of the season.”

Porter then takes his side to Walton Casuals on Easter Saturday, before the mouth-watering home clash against neighbours Folkestone Invicta on Easter Monday, 9 April (3pm).

Hythe Town were on the end of an embarrassing 8-0 defeat by Neil Cugley’s men when they met at Cheriton Road on Boxing Day.

“We’ve all said it and even the people around Folkestone said it was a one-off – hopefully it is,” said Porter.

“It’s just another game, but there’s a little bit more on top of it. We know that!

“A lot of things have changed since Boxing Day.  Folkestone’s team’s changed, my team has changed, form’s changed, positions have changed, a lot of things have changed.

“It’s another game.  A massive game for the club and in front a lot of people. We don’t know what position’s people will be in, whether Folkestone will still be in the play-offs.

“There’s a lot riding on it, but it’s more to do with bragging rights, as they say, but yes, we do owe them.  I’m not going to lie because they beat us 8-0.  We do owe them and hopefully we’ll put things right on that day.”

Visit Hythe Town’s website: www.hythetownfc.co.uk  

Hythe Town  v  Eastbourne Town
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 31^st March 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Reachfields Stadium, Fort Road, Hythe, Kent CT21 6JS