Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler tells Scott Porter: I'm here to help you!

Thursday 28th October 2010

GILLINGHAM manager Andy Hessenthaler says he is happy to help Kent League side Hythe Town prepare for their FA Cup First Round tie away to Hereford United, writes Stephen McCartney.

Scott Porter’s side are the lowest ranked club left in the competition and meet the Bulls, who Gillingham drew 0-0 with in August, at Edgar Street on 6 November.

Hessenthaler spent three successful seasons at Dover Athletic, winning back-to-back Ryman League titles and runners-up spot in Blue Square Bet South, before making an emotion return to Gillingham, but enraged supporters when he took Darren Hare, Nicky Southall and Ian Hendon with him during the summer.

But in September 2007, Hythe, then managed by Paul Fisk, inflicted Hessenthaler’s first defeat in only his tenth game in the Crabbe hot-seat, by winning a FA Cup Second Qualifying Round tie 2-1 in front of 1,109 fans at Reachfields Stadium.

Lee Winfield, who was sent off in Hythe’s Fourth Qualifying Round win over Staines Town last weekend, is the sole survivor from that game and scored the goal that put the Kent League side 2-0 up.

A disappointed Hessenthaler told www.kentishfootball.co.uk at the time: "Give Hythe some credit. They worked their socks off and I think the better team won. They deserved to win at the end of the day."

He added: "It's always nice to go on a FA Cup run. I've been involved in many Cup runs over the years and it would have been nice to get through to the next round, but it's not to be."

But Hessenthaler holds no grudges and will help Porter to prepare for the club’s first ever FA Cup First Round tie.

“I'll give them as much information and as many DVDs as I can on Hereford," Hessenthaler told BBC Radio Kent.

"I want them to get through to the second round."

Hythe lie five league’s below Hereford and if they win at Edgar Street then it will be the BIGGEST ever Cup shock in the history of Kent football.

"I was on the end of a cup defeat at Hythe when I was at Dover," added Hessenthaler. "They've got a togetherness that's pulling them through."

"If I can be of any help I will put my assistance to them. Give me a call."

Meanwhile, Dover Athletic striker Adam Birchall says that the prospect of a tie with Gillingham inspired them to their FA Cup fourth qualifying round win over Farnborough.

Birchall scored a hat-trick in the Whites 5-0 replay victory to set up a first round trip to Priestfield.

The clash will see Gills boss Hessenthaler face the Whites for the first time since leaving in May.

"There was definitely a lot of motivation before the game," Birchall told BBC Radio Kent.

In addition to Hessenthaler's defection, Dover also lost his replacement, Ian Hendon, whose reign lasted just 18 days before he left to become assistant manager at Priestfield.

Player-coach Nicky Southall also made the switch from Crabble to Gillingham.

"There's only a few of us here now who worked under Hessy but I know a lot of lads have worked under Hendon and a lot of lads know Nicky Southall," added Birchall.

"But we were very calm and collected before the game and it definitely seemed to show on the pitch. Now we can't wait for the Gillingham game."

Birchall has scored 17 goals this season, including 14 in his last eight games, but denied that he has anything to prove to Hendon, who was in charge when the 25-year-old was released by Barnet.

"That's all in the past now, you can't live in the past," said Birchall.

"I think we're just all looking forward to the game. It will be nice to see Hessy again.

"A lot of the boys here have good memories of him and thought he was a good manager, so it will be a nice day out."

Dover boss Martin Hayes, who succeeded Hendon as Dover Athletic manager, said: "It feels nice because I know what it means to the fans and the club to get into the first round, and also to be playing Gillingham.

"That makes it pleasing for me that we can all go and enjoy that day.

"But I've got my serious head on and I'm thinking about how we can cause Gillingham problems and how we can try and sneak a result."

Whites chairman Jim Parmenter has tried to play down any suggestion that the tie represents Dover with the opportunity for revenge after the acrimonious events of the summer.

"I've made it quite clear that as far as I am concerned that's history," said Mr Parmenter.

"By all means a bit of barracking never hurt anyone but that's as far as it goes and we really need to put it to bed now and move on.

"To go up the road and play the Gills will be a fantastic game for Kent football and we're really looking forward to that.

"When you've just won a fourth qualifying round tie at home 5-0, then who cares who the manager used to be?"

Gillingham lie 15th in League Two, 38 places above Blue Square Bet South side Dover in the league ladder.

Quotes courtesy of BBC Radio Kent - www.bbc.co.uk/kent