Cup tie will get our match legs going after winter break, says Munday

Monday 18th January 2010

WHITSTABLE TOWN boss Mark Munday says suspensions to three of his key players have come at the right time, writes Stephen McCartney.

Clint Gooding, Sam Denly and Tom Parker are forced to sit out Tuesday night’s Kent Senior Cup tie away to Ryman Premier League strugglers Cray Wanderers.

The Wands are smarting from their horrific 5-1 defeat at Canvey Island at the weekend, which kept Ian Jenkins’ side in the Ryman Premier League relegation zone.

Whitstable, meanwhile, haven’t played since a dull goal-less draw at Ramsgate on Boxing Day, and Munday, who was speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk today, cannot wait to get back to action.

“It’s good to be back playing again,” he said. “The nice thing about it is we haven’t played for so long and we come back into a cup game so it gives us an opportunity not to lose ground in the league or miss out on points.

“But it gives us an opportunity to get our match legs back and have ninety minutes before the toils of the league that starts again on Saturday.”

The Kent Senior Cup tie will allow Munday’s three suspended players to be raring to go for Saturday’s must-win home game against Walton & Hersham.

The Oystermen, with three wins and a draw from their last six games, are one place and one point above the Ryman League Division One South relegation zone and a win over the fourth placed Surrey side will go down a treat.

“We’ll serve some suspensions so we don’t miss anyone for a league game, which is important,” admitted Munday.

“They’ve had suspensions carried from 2nd January, we haven’t been able to play since then so it’s been brought forward to tomorrow’s game, which serves a purpose for us so we don’t miss any of them for important league games.

“Our form in the league of late, up until Christmas, has been very positive but we’re starting to pick up some consistent results. If we carry on like that we’ll get more good results.”

Munday wants his side to keep things tight at the back and gave a Kent side as a good example to follow.

He said: “Folkestone have not scored the most goals in the league but they’ve not conceded but they’re sitting top of the league so the acid test is looking at sides like that. You don’t have to win 5-0 every week to win leagues.

“People down the wrong end of the league have to shut up shop and we’ve done that of late and it’s pleasing to do that and showing the lads what good looks like and what good feels like and we’ll give them encouragement to do that.”

Munday revealed that his first and reserve team squad - with some youth team players - staged a behind-closed-doors friendly on their 3G training pitch to maintain players fitness levels.

“It’s a little bit of a mid-season break and everyone’s coming back,” said Munday. “No-one’s had any decent preparation, no-ones had a run of games, although a few sides have played one or two games.

“It’s whoever hit’s the deck running and whoever got some decent training sessions in over the last ten days. Hopefully that will stand us in good stead going into tomorrow’s game.

“It’s been a difficult period training together and keeping fitness levels up. You have to rely on their personal endeavours to be honest with you and hopefully we will start again the way we finished December.

“Over the last seven to ten days we’ve had three or four good training sessions on a 3G surface down in the East Kent area, which has been clear of snow than most places.

“They’ve been really good and worked really hard and on Saturday we managed to get a full size match on, which was good for everyone to get 70-80 minutes of a match situation. It was with the reserves and some of the 18s and enabling people to have a match situation.”

Looking ahead to tomorrow night’s Kent Senior Cup tie against a Cray Wanderers side in the relegation zone in the league above, Munday knows things won’t be easy at Hayes Lane.

“We preparing for a tough game,” he said. “They didn’t go up for no reason last year, they were a very good side. You don’t become a bad side overnight but the league above is a tough league and again the consistency side of it you have to perform at your maximum every week.

“They’re going to start as favourites. What side they’re going to turn out? I’m not going to second guess that. I’d imagine after their result on Saturday they will probably want to dispel some performances from there I’d imagine.

“It gives us a benchmark and they will give us a tough test for our first game for a month.”

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

Cray Wanderers v Whitstable Town

Kent Senior Cup Second Round

Tuesday 19th January 2010

Kick Off 7:45pm

At Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF