Hythe have blown the title - Hughes

Hughes takes his side to Reachfields Stadium tomorrow bidding to harm long-term leaders Hythe’s chances of clinching the Bulmers Cider Kent League title as the season reaches an exciting climax.

VCD Athletic lead the table with 64 points, followed by Hythe (63), Holmesdale (60) and Faversham Town (59) - and all four sides can still claim the top prize come next Saturday as all four of them have still got two games left to play.

Hythe will leapfrog over VCD Athletic with a win - the Vickers play Erith & Belvedere in the Kent Senior Trophy Final at Park View Road on Sunday - but Hughes, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk is excited about the last two games of the season.

"We go there like we have done all season, prepared to give it our best shot," Hughes said.

"I think the pressure’s more on them than us because they’ve been on the top of the tree for the best part of the season.

"It will be a culture shock if they potentially finish third or fourth even so I think they are kicking themselves."

It has been a remarkable campaign for Holmesdale and Hughes is pleased about the work ethic at the Bromley based club.

"When I said to you before about punching above our weight, that’s not saying we’re not good enough," Hughes said. "We pay a win bonus, it’s a very small win bonus, and there’s a lot of players in this Kent League that are being overpaid and not achieving.

"It doesn’t matter where they’re playing, it sometimes doesn’t even cover their costs and it just give credit to those bunch of lads.

"I think the main thing that we’ve got in our dressing room is that they’re here for one thing and one thing only - they’re here for the club, they want to do well for this club and they’re not big time to get the money and rip the club off.

"They want to do well and when you take a big scalp they get that minimal amount of money."

Hughes, meanwhile, believes Hythe, tipped by so many to win the title this season, will fall at the final furlong.

He said: "VCD are obviously favourites and fair play to them. They’ve gone on an unbelievable (12-match) run so well done to them. Faversham are flying, six or seven games unbeaten, something like that. Hythe are maybe mis-firing at the wrong time, but we can’t hit a barn door at the moment. We create chances but we can’t score at the moment, like against Herne Bay.

"It must be squeeky bum time for Hythe, they’ve just been looking down on everyone and all of a sudden we’re very tight to them. VCD have probably got reasonably easy fixtures, Hythe must be thinking where did it all go wrong.

"If I was a betting man, I wouldn’t put money on us (winning the title), but as long as we can give a good performance tomorrow, but we’ll be going there for a win and going there for a battle. It’s not for VCD - it’s for ourselves."

Visit Hythe Town's website: www.hythetownfc.co.uk

Visit Holmesdale’s website: www.holmesdalefc.co.uk

Hythe Town v Holmesdale
Bulmers Cider Kent League
Saturday 18^th April 2009
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Reachfields Stadium, Fort Road, Hythe, Kent