We want to finish on a high, says Whitstable Town boss Nicky Southall

WHITSTABLE TOWN manager Nicky Southall says he wants his side to finish their campaign on a high.



The Oystermen travel to fifth-placed Hastings United on Easter Saturday, before completing their home campaign with a potential six-pointer game against struggling Three Bridges, before ending their season with a trip to already relegated Eastbourne Town on 26 April.

Whitstable Town go into the vital Easter campaign sitting in eighteenth-place in the Ryman League Division One South table, having collected 13 wins, 11 draws and 19 defeats.

The Belmont club are five points clear of third-from-bottom side Redhill and Southall says he wants his side to avoid the drop going into the last week of the season.

“Firstly, we have three huge games ahead of us starting with Hastings as they are trying to cement a play-off space,” said Southall, 42.

“We still need a win from our last three games to keep away from the bottom teams so it’s a massive game from our point of view.”

Southall feels that playing 46 league games in a season that has been the wettest winter in 250 years’ has taken its toll on his players and other clubs in the Ryman League.

“This last month or so has been probably the most difficult time in 25 years of playing football in many ways with nearly 20 games in two months well is truly unheard off,” said Southall.

“We ain’t had the run of the green in that respect but fatigue and injuries will and have occurred but I don’t want to hide from the fact that results have been up and down but I can’t and will not criticise my players one bit.

“In fact I salute them for the effort and commitment over this season as we have been the victims of our own success in the glorious cup campaigns that we have had and also earned Whitstable a vital source of income from this, added with this all the press and TV acknowledgements which has put us firmly on the map so all in all I’m a little frustrated but delighted as well.

“We have blooded and produced some very talented young kids into the first team squad and that was probably my main target to secure a vital source of raw talent coming into the first team as this is the future for Whitstable as we’re not as competitive as some clubs in terms of budgets so we live to our means and won’t be held to ransom from players.

“So whatever happens at the end of the season we want to finish on a high and try to get more than 54 points as Whitstable Town have never beat that points target since being in the Ryman South league.”

Three Bridges can still join Eastbourne Town and Crawley Down Gatwick through the trap door to make it a miserable campaign for all three Sussex clubs.

Former Gillingham midfielder Southall thanked the Oysterboys for their terrific support during the course of the season.

He said: “Easter Monday is our last home game against Three Bridges so we’re hoping for a bumper crowd to come and support us as our fans have been amazing this year, so vocal at every game and they deserve us to put a performance on to finish on a high.”

All three games kick-off at 3:00pm.

Visit Whitstable Town’s website: www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk

Hastings United  v  Whitstable Town
Ryman League Division One South
Easter Saturday 19^th April 2014
Kick Off 3:00pm
at The Pilot Field, Elphinstone Road, Hastings, East Sussex TN34 2AX