We want to get out of the Kent League, says Porter

Wednesday 28th July 2010

HYTHE TOWN boss Scott Porter says he is playing higher league sides this summer to acclimatise to life in the Ryman League in 12 months time, writes Stephen McCartney.

Porter’s charges have a 100% record in pre-season with wins over Kent County League sides Lydd Town and Hollands & Blair, but the wins over Whitstable Town (Ryman One South) and Maidstone United (Ryman Premier League) prove he means business.

“You can’t argue with four wins out of four, two against Ryman sides,” Porter told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

He added: “We’re going to keep our feet underneath the table because it is only pre-season and there’s a long way to go until the end of April when the (Kent) League is decided.

“I’d rather win our (pre-season) games than lose our games and people are getting to know eachother, which is good. The new players have come in and mixed in well. We’ve enjoyed the last few weeks.”

Porter has enticed some high calibre players to Reachfields stadium this summer, players that have played at a much higher level of football.

His first summer signing was Lee Shearer, who was Faversham Town’s leading goalscorer as he helped the Lilywhites to Kent League and Kent Senior Trophy glory last term.

“Shearer, I don’t have to talk too much about him much because everyone knows about him,” he said of the central defender.

There were raised eyebrows when prolific striker Brendon Cass swapped Ryman Premier League football with Folkestone Invicta to drop down two league’s to sign for Hythe.

“Brendon’s attitude has been fantastic and he’s a proper footballer,” said Porter. “He has the right attitude, works hard, trains hard and puts everything into it and he deserved his goal last night.”

Scoring his first goal for his new club during last night’s 3-1 home win over Maidstone United, Porter was pleased that Cass has got off the mark.

He said: “It showed the joy on his face and everyone around. We are a very close nit team and everyone appreciates when someone needs a goal. That was his fourth game and he needed a goal. He’s been creating chances left, right and centre, but it just hasn’t gone right for him.

“He got a proper goal poachers goal last night and he’s been doing fantastic and Gary Mickelborough has been good - he picked up a slight knock on Saturday so we left him out last night.

“The whole squad is coming together along well. Michael Yianni is looking bubbly and the players that we’ve signed have shown a great attitude.”

Paul Foley brings his VCD Athletic - sorry Chatham Town - side to Reachfields Stadium on Saturday, and Porter is using the game as a benchmark to what he hopes will be a regular fixture from next season.

Porter said: “Obviously that’s where we want to be - we want to be in the Ryman!

“That’s why we’ve got games against the teams we want to complete against to see how far we are, where we are, and where we need to be.

“We’re not going to deny the fact we do need to be in that level, with the facilities and the players and the way the club is run - we want to be in the Ryman.

“Playing these teams are good to see how far we have come and how good we are.

“At the end of the day, people like Herne Bay, they’ve come second, they want to go one further. We’ve come third (last season) and we want to go another one further than second.

“We don’t come into the season thinking we’ve finished top three. What’s the point? You have to go out and win it, do the best you can, we want to win it!

“We want to win the League and we want to get out of this League!”

Porter, meanwhile, has today agreed terms to bring striker Damian Abel back to Reachfields Stadium, after enjoying the same success as Sharer at Salters Lane last term.

He said: “We’ve agreed a deal this afternoon. He did sign Ryman forms with Faversham, but he left there a week ago.

“I’ve signed him just through his pace and his goalscoring ability. He’s a local lad, a friend of mine and I’m sure he’ll bring plenty of exciting times to Hythe.”

Hythe secretary, Martin Giles, meanwhile, explained to www.kentishfootball.co.uk how the deal was secured.

Mr Giles said: “After talking to Damian in the close season we were under the impression that he would be staying at Faversham, but he contacted us on Tuesday to say that he had told them last week he would not be doing so.

“He made himself available for last night’s game against Maidstone United and today he has told us he would like to come back to Hythe.

“He said also that he had signed a Ryman form so we contacted Faversham and offered them 7 days to speak with the player again as it is still early days. They declined this offer and so now Damian is back at Hythe and if he plays like he did last night we will all be very happy about that!”

But Faversham Town boss Justin Luchford told www.kentishfootball.co.uk that there are no hard feelings losing the number 8.

“Lee Shearer and Damian Abel have been a prominent part of what I’ve done over the last couple of season’s,“ said Luchford.

“They’re good players, good lads and they’ll be missed by us, but that’s the same with any club when you lose players at the end of the season. That’s what happens, football moves on and we’ve moved on into the Ryman League, which is fantastic for the club and the town.”

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

Hythe Town v Chatham Town

Pre-Season Friendly

Saturday 31st July 2010

Kick Off 3:00pm

At Reachfields Stadium, Fort Road, Hythe CT21 6JS