Borough enjoy a good day out on the coast- EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Phil Miles was beaming with pride as his Greenwich Borough players became the first side to beat Whitstable Town in Kent League football this season, writes Stephen McCartney.

 

Leaders Whitstable Town have only tasted defeat on two occasions this season  - against Ryman Premier League side Margate in the FA Cup, and suffering a surprise defeat in the FA Vase to Sussex County League outfit Oakwood.

But after going 23 league games unbeaten, their run was ended in dramatic fashion when Borough hero Meshach Nugent converted a late penalty at The Belmont yesterday.

“It feels really good but at the end of the day it’s just another three points really,” a modest Miles said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk today.

“It’s not really down to me, it’s a team thing.  We’ve played them five times now and in all five games, baring the Kent Senior Trophy game, we more than held our own and yesterday was no exception.

“It was a good game of football and it could have gone either way.

“I think we had the better chances but it was a good time to score, a couple of minutes before the end.

“It was fantastic.  We had a little bit of support down there.  It was a good day all round – everything was brilliant.”

Miles’ attention now turns to Tuesday night’s game against a Slade Green side in the bottom four in the table.

And Miles, who alongside Terry Malin spent over five years at Slade Green, hopes his side replicate yesterday’s performance at Harrow Meadow.

“We’ve got a big ten days from yesterday,” he explained.  “We’ve got a tough game against Slade Green on Tuesday, a tough game away to Croydon Saturday and a trip to Hythe the following Tuesday night.

“So it’s a tough (period).  We would have played three of the top six all away from home.”
Miles appreciates the efforts put in by Slade Green’s current management team, former Cray Wanderers’ team-mates Danny Evans, Adam Heaslewood and Andy Silk.

He said: “We gave Slade Green all that we could give them.

“They’ve got two good managers down there that’s trying to take the club forward and they’re finding it difficult to attract players as we did.

“But I’ve got loads of respect for the people that run the football club.”

Miles believes the Harrow Meadow outfit will finish in the top six this season – and paid tribute to promotion chasing Whitstable.

 “We’ve been in the top six now for probably most the season,” he recalled.

“We’ve got eight games left, that’s 24 points so we want to finish as high as we can finish.

“I feel Whitstable will win the title.  I feel they’re the best side in the league and to go 23 games undefeated in a league is a fantastic achievement.

“They’re a fantastically run football club as well.  Marc (Seager) and Simon (Halsey), the players, everything’s good about the club and I hope they go forward a long way.”

Seager, who was missing strikers Sam Prett, Steve Marshall and leading Kent League marksman Stuart King through injury, was making no excuses.

He told www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk:   “We knew that it would happen sooner or later and when you are at the top of the table, plus unbeaten, then teams do run that extra yard and try just the bit harder which is why, despite having the chances to put the game to bed, we were unable to convert chances into goals.”

The Oystermen are five points clear of second placed side Croydon, with a game in hand, and travel to Hythe Town on Tuesday night.

“We shall be looking to go to Hythe on Tuesday for all three points to keep the pressure on the other sides in the chasing pack,” said Seager.

“Remember they can’t afford to lose another game whilst we have the luxury of the points in the bag and if we do lose another couple of matches we can still end the season on a high.”

Seager, of course, was referring to the club reaching both domestic cup finals – the Kent League Cup and Kent Senior Trophy.

Visit club websites:

www.web-teams.co.uk/home.asp?team=greenwichboroughfc

www.clubwebsite.co.uk/sladegreenfc/

Greenwich Borough  v  Slade Green
Kent League Premier Division
Tuesday 27^th March 2007
Kick Off 7:45pm
at Harrow Meadow, Eltham Green Road, Eltham, London SE9 6BA