There's a bit of an edge becasue half the boys were there, says Holmesdale boss Ian Varley ahead of his return to Glebe

HOLMESDALE boss Ian Varley says tomorrow’s game at Glebe has got an edge to it.

Varley and Simon Copley were controversially sacked by Glebe with three games of last season to play, but the pair stayed on to win the London Senior Trophy and Kent Invicta League Challenge Trophy, while their third-place finish wasn’t good enough for them to keep their jobs.

The pair were appointed as Holmesdale’s new management team minutes after the last game of the season, after the Bromley based club lost their Southern Counties East Football League Premier status under Byron Beard, who is now on Beckenham’s coaching staff.

Copley didn’t take charge of a team because he took a full-time Academy coaching job at Premier League giants and Varley has now been in charge at Holmesdale for 14 games and takes his side to Chisleshurst tomorrow to face third-placed Glebe.

Holmesdale were dumped out of The FA Vase by Banstead Athletic, who easily won 4-1 at Oakley Road last weekend, and  former Long Lane player-manager Joe Diggins scored the only goal of the game for Forest Hill Park in midweek.

The Dalers sit in sixth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League First Division table on 17 points from 10 games, while Glebe have 22 points from nine.  Unbeaten Rusthall remain at the top of the pile on 25 points from 11 outings.

“It will be alright, I don’t know what to make of it, it’s just a game, it’s just a game,” said Varley.

“It doesn’t really bother me to be honest.  We were there last year, we did well but football means you move on whether you do well or not.

“There’s a bit of edge because half the boys were there, it’s just another game. They’re doing well, at least we’re up at the top end of the table so it’s not top versus near the bottom, but we’ll give them a good run for their money and we’re looking forward to it.”

Glebe go into the game on the back of their 3-1 replay win at Deal Town on Tuesday night to book a FA Vase First Round trip to Shoreham on 22 October.

Glebe chairman Rocky McMillan said:  “Delighted to have beaten another established step five club this week.  Teams never like travelling to Deal midweek. Along with the excellent win at Cray Valley, it shows me we are continuing to head in the right direction.

“There are probably five or six teams that fancy promotion from step six this season.  We shall continue to focus on the league on a weekly basis and see what happens.

“My management team of Adam Woodward, Charlie McCarthy and Sam Long, have settled down really well to the demands of the club and the league.

“It’s still very early days. What is clear this season is that on the day any team in the top half of the league can beat any other. It’s making for a really good inaugural season.”

Visit Glebe’s website:  www.pitchero.com/clubs/glebefc

Visit Holmesdale’s website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/holmesdalefc

Glebe  v  Holmesdale
Southern Counties East Football League First Division
Saturday 1^st October 2016
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Foxbury Avenue, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6SD