We want to finish as high as we possibly can, says Herne Bay boss Simon Halsey

HERNE BAY boss Simon Halsey says his side adapted to the conditions during their single-goal victory at Horsham at the weekend.



Byron Walker’s first half goal ended the team’s nine-match run without a win and the club are now in seventeenth-place in the Ryman League Division One South table, with 27 points from 22 games – 12 points clear of Three Bridges, who occupy the sole relegation place.

Halsey said: ”We adapted ourselves to play well on a not very good pitch. It weren’t the Herne Bay style but after being beaten against Faversham on a poor pitch at our place we decided to change our style.

”We had the break and that done us a world of good because it took the lads’ minds off the rut we were in and the games that we were losing.

”We took everything that we’ve learnt from the other games in the Horsham game where the pitch was very heavy, wet and cutting up.

”We adapted with a little bit of the Herne Bay style as well, but we played in the right areas. 

”On chances made in the game, we deserved the three points really.”

Last season’s Kent League champions are disappointed to be in the bottom six in their inaugural Ryman League Division One South campaign.

”Oh yes, of course we are,” said Halsey.  “It was no fluke we were in that top nine for quite a while, but we knew we had a hard time as soon as we got the Dulwich fixture, then the Maidstone, Faversham and Leatherhead, it was never ending.

”We knew we were in for a hard time. We knew it was going to be a tough month, or a tough five or six games.

”I think the difference this year, we’re not getting that rub of the green that every manager needs, that little bit of luck. 

”We didn’t have a good month and we’ve had the break, knuckled down and worked hard and we got our just rewards on Saturday.

”It’s given us three points. We are better than our position tells us.”

Herne Bay lock horns with Championship club Charlton Athletic on Wednesday with a place in the Kent Senior Cup (Sponsored by Portablefloodlights.com) semi-finals up for grabs.

Halsey said: ”It’s another big game. Hopefully a good crowd there. They’ve got a big following in the South-East, with their coaches traveling up there every Saturday. Hopefully some of them will venture over and watch not their first team but a mixture of their development squad and fringe players.

”It’s going to be tough for us. The only little advantage they’ve got over us is they’ve trained all over Christmas and over the bad weather, where we haven’t been able to do as much training.

”We’re going into it with nothing to lose basically. We’ve said Saturday, yes we do want to progress into the semi-finals without a shadow of the doubt, that’s our mentality of our club.

”Without training and playing over the last month, another 90 minutes on Wednesday night is going to be massive for my players.”

The weekend’s FA Cup Fourth Round ties has brought up some giant-killings.  Luton Town, who are one place above Dartford in sixth-place in the Blue Square Bet (Conference) Premier table produced a shock 1-0 win at Premier League Norwich City.

The Hatters became the first non-league side to beat a top-flight side in the FA Cup since then Conference club Sutton United produced that famous giantkilling over Coventry City at Gander Green Lane back in 1989.

Millwall also beat Premier League opposition in out-of-sorts Aston Villa, Oldham Athletic stunned Liverpool and Leeds United knocked out Tottenham Hotspur.

Herne Bay, who reached the FA Carlsberg Vase Semi-Finals last season, are clearly the underdogs against Charlton Athletic.

Halsey added: “We’ll be going out there to give it our all and the players’ are looking forward to it.

”We want to progress into the semi-finals of the Kent Senior Cup because that’s our mentality – we want to win every thing we go in for.”

Herne Bay, who face playing 20 league games in the last three months of the season, travel to Merstham on Saturday.

The Surrey club are managed by former Bromley boss Hayden Bird and they currently sit one place above Herne Bay in the table.

”Merstham are a good side,” said Halsey. “I just spoke about our bad run that we’ve had, that was probably our only game we shouldn’t have got something out of the game. They’re a good side and we’re going to have a tough test.

”The win on Saturday has mentally given us a good foothold for the second part of the season with 20 games to play, so hopefully we can build on last Saturday like we did at the start of the season.

”We got ourselves away and went on a nine-match unbeaten run, which was great.  

”It’s great I think we’re right through to the 12^th March now with our re-arranged fixtures, which I think is great for us as well.

”If we can get that momentum going and continue we can finish as high as we possibly can for our first season, consolidate. Yes, we’ve had a little blip, but we knew that blip was going to come and as I’ve tried to point out to people I thought that blip would come at the start of the season.

”We got ourselves away, got a lot of points on board and we’ve got to get that momentum going. 

”Everyone’s back from injury, that bad weather has given people the chance to get over their niggles. It’s all go and full steam ahead basically.”

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

Herne Bay  v  Charlton Athletic
Kent Senior Cup (Sponsored by Portablefloodlights.com) Quarter-Final
Wednesday 30^th January 2013
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Winch’s Field, Stanley Gardens, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5SG