Whitstable Town boss Mark Lane targets back-to-back league wins ahead of Canvey Cup clash

Wednesday 15th September 2010

WHITSTABLE TOWN boss Mark Lane has challenged his side to come away from their next two away games with back-to-back wins - ahead off their trip to Canvey Island in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Oystermen have defeated lower league sides Croydon and East Grinstead to set up a trip to Ryman Premier League side Canvey Island in the next round on 28 September, but before that Lane takes his side to Corinthian-Casuals (Saturday) and Chipstead (next Tuesday) in games that are classed as six-pointers.

Whitstable are presently lying third-from-bottom in the Ryman League Division One South table with a record of one win from five games, whilst Corinthian-Casuals, who were dumped out of the FA Cup by Erith & Belvedere last weekend, have collected just one point so far and are one place lower in the table.

Whitstable sealed their Ryman League status in Tolworth last season, courtesy of a powerful header from Sam Denly and Lane wants a repeat of that performance at the weekend.

“I think it’s another six-pointer,” Lane told www.kentishfootball.co.uk. “We went to Horsham YMCA a couple of weeks ago and had a six-pointer there and we played absolutely terrible and won, we won ugly and we’ve got a game at Corinthian-Casuals and that’s another six-pointer.

“It’s a nice place to go, a lovely pitch. They’re going to be up for it as they’re in a big predicament themselves.

“It’s got half decent memories for us up there. We seem to do ok up there without putting the mockers on us. They let you play, the pitch their is good, they‘re a good footballing side themselves and let you play. I don’t want to lose up there but we’ll have to see how we go.”

Lane then takes his side to Chipstead next Tuesday, and the modest High Road ground doesn’t hold many happy memories for the club.

The Surrey side are currently in the lofty heights of ninth place in the table, with a record of two wins and two draws from their five outings.

Lane said: “They’ve got something this year. They’ve started well, they’ve been the opposite to us. They will be full of confidence, they’ve got 8 points from their games and it’s a ground we don’t normally do well, but things have got to change and we’ll go there full of confidence.

“It will be nice to get back-to-back wins and go into the Canvey Island game with two wins behind us.

“That’s one of the things in the Ryman League, if you can get some back-to-back wins you do start shooting up the table and it gives players confidence. If you’re winning one and losing one game it becomes a bit of a struggle.”

Lane admitted his side should have scored more than Ian Pulman’s 83rd minute to dump East Grinstead out of the FA Cup last weekend.

“We kept a clean sheet, had a good win, it was good financially for the club,” reflected Lane.

“I would have been a bit happier if we went in at half-time with a two or three goal lead, which we deserved. Having said that, they squandered a penalty in the first five minutes (after keeper Kevin Fewell saved Ross Cable’s penalty after bringing the striker down), so it could have been different.

“I thought we played ok. We huffed and puffed a little bit in the second half, but we got a decent goal and that will do me.”

Looking ahead to their trip to Canvey Island, if you can ever look forward to playing at such a bleak place, Lane added: “I would have preferred them at home, like anybody else would. It’s a difficult one but not impossible. We’ll have a few feelers out this week as their playing Cray so we will see what they’re set-up like.

“We’ll go there with a bit of confidence and it will be nice to be underdogs for a change, having played two teams below us.

“The prize money does come in handy and that was one of the remits when I first took the job over. The club wanted a decent cup run. Clubs at our level rely on the money generated from the FA Cup.

“There’s four and a half thousand pounds in the bin at the moment with a further four and a half thousand to come if we beat Canvey, so there’s quite a big commitment from the players and the club to do well.”

Kieran Morris (groin), Garry Sayer (knee) and Jon Neal (hamstring) are rated doubtful for Saturday’s game, although he hopes to bring in one new player tomorrow.

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

Corinthian-Casuals v Whitstable Town

Ryman League Division One South

Saturday 18th September 2010

Kick Off 3:00pm

At King Georges Field, Queen Mary Close, Hook Rise South, Tolworth, Surrey KT6 7NA