I’d like to bring some silverware here but the main objective is stabilising and then growing into the division that’s above us at the moment which starts with promotion this year, says Holmesdale boss Lee Roots

HOLMESDALE manager Lee Roots says he is aiming for promotion at the end of the season.

The Dale made six changes for last night’s Hospitals Charity Cup First Round tie against their league rivals Stansfeld, losing 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes of football at Oakley Road.

Holmesdale are in fifth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League First Division table with 16 points from their nine league games and are level on points with fourth-placed Croydon, whom have a game in hand.

Holmesdale host bottom-four side Greenways to Oakley Road on Saturday, looking to continue their good run of form.

“We purposely set-up with Greenways in mind, no disrespect to this competition (Hospitals Charity Cup) but the league is the bread and butter for this club,” said Roots.

“The option of getting up this year is massive. We’re four unbeaten in the league, we’ve beaten Elmstead and Rochester when they were first and second so there was a lot of pressure that week.

“We got a good point at Snodland, who are going to pick up some points.  We’ve got three really big league games and we need to remain unbeaten in these league games and pick up valuable points.

“We can’t allow too much inconsistency to creep into our game as we move into the second quarter of the season.”

The top four sides, currently FC Elmstead (22 points from 11 games); Rusthall (17 points from eight); Lewisham Borough (17 points from nine) and Croydon (16 points from eight) are promoted to the Premier Division at the end of the season and Roots wants his Bromley based side to be one of them.

“I think the top four thing has been good and bad because it’s allowed every side to set up the same and that is why every team is beating each other,” said Roots.

“They all want the same goal and it’s good for the league because I think there’s something to play for all the way to the death and at the moment you win a game and you’re second, you lose a game and you’re fourth or fifth.

“We want to stay around that bracket, only around 16-18 games we will realistically look above us and start to plan targets towards the end of the season. At the moment it’s just month-to-month.

“Reaching a cup final is probably more personal for one of our committee members that we’ve lost this year so I’d like to bring some silverware here but the main objective is stabilising and then growing into the division that’s above us at the moment which starts with promotion this year.”

Holmesdale  v  Greenways
Southern Counties East Football League First Division
Saturday 12 October 2019
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Oakley Road, Bromley, Kent BR2 8HQ