Jenkins unveils Bremner's return

CRAY WANDERERS boss Ian Jenkins has tonight unveiled he has brought striker Leigh Bremner back to the club in a permanent deal, writes Stephen McCartney.

The former Gillingham youth team player had originally joined the club from Herne Bay at the start of the 2004-05 season and has also had spells with Dulwich Hamlet and Folkestone Invicta and returns to Hayes Lane from Carshalton Athletic.

Bremner scored 13 goals for Folkestone Invicta last season, but couldn’t prevent the Kent club avoiding relegation from the Ryman Premier League.

He stayed at that level of football, signing for Carshalton Athletic during the summer, but Jenkins, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight, is pleased to bring the striker back to the club.

Jenkins revealed Bremner will start in Wands’ Kent Senior Cup first round clash against Ramsgate at Hayes Lane tomorrow night.

“I’ve signed Leigh Bremner from Carshalton so he will be coming in tomorrow night to start the game,” said Jenkins.

“He’s not on loan, he’s with us for the rest of the season.

“He’s another player who wants to enjoy what’s going on around him as much as play. He wants to enjoy the other players and management. I think Leigh fits in with the way we do things at Cray, like most players do.

“I had a little bit of money with money freed up with (defender) Ryan Royston going to Ramsgate and (striker) Tony Atkins leaving the club.

“Gary Hillman (chairman) hasn’t given me any more money, it’s money being freed up with players leaving.”

Jenkins admitted Fleet Town grabbed a flattering 4-0 win over his side at Hayes Lane at the weekend.

“I was one of those mad games really,” he said. “We played alright, didn’t put our chances away and they scored three in the last ten minutes, so the scoreline flattered them.

“It does look like we’ve got thumped. A 1-0 result or a draw would have been fair. It was definitely not a 4-0 result.

“If it was a poor performance that’s when you tend to shout at the boys don’t you. It was a decent performance. On another day we would have got a result out of it, against another side we probably would have won - they’re a decent side Fleet.”

Despite Cray leaking four goals, Jenkins has high-hopes for nineteen-year-old central defender, Michael Munday, who has been drafted in from the reserves, as Mark Willy had work commitments.

“He done well considering the result,” said Jenkins. “It looks bad on him because he played centre half but he done well the kid. I was impressed with him - he’s definitely one for the future.”

Attention now turns to their Kent Senior Cup tie and after losing 4-0 to full-time opposition in Ebbsfleet United in last season’s final, Jenkins is desperate to avoid a first round exit this term.

“We don’t want to lose, put it another way, it’s another game of football,” he said. “We’ve just lost one, I don’t want to lose another one on the spin. I want to go out (onto the pitch) with a positive result.

“This competition is a good opportunity to throw in a few untried players and players who haven’t been playing.

“A few of the older boys need resting (so) a few of the reserves I’ve been having on the bench the last few games will be getting full games tomorrow night.

“The players I’m bringing in are good enough. The majority of the changes I’ll be making will be first team players anyway. It’s only two or three players out of the reserves, players (that) have been in my squad for three or four weeks. They’re good enough to play.”

A crowd of 648 saw Blue Square Premier side Ebbsfleet United lift the Kent Senior Cup - the final being played in late July as both clubs had busy end-of-season schedules.

Three of Fleet’s four goals arrived in the last eighteen minutes as Jenkins’ make-shift side wilted in the Hayes Lane heat.

“It was a freaky final, playing a game pre-season that was supposed to be played the season before,” reflected Jenkins.

“We had 12 players unavailable, we had five or six on holiday, it made it a farce. It was a farce the way it was organised last year.”

For Ramsgate boss, Jim Ward, he will be hoping for a much better performance, having been thrashed 5-1 by Hendon at the weekend, as the Rams still wait for their first league win at Southwood Stadium.

When asked what went wrong, Ward, speaking to www. Tonight, replied: “It wasn’t a good day at the office that’s for sure.

“Well, what can I say? Everything they hit went in. Hats off to them, they deserved to win the game.”

Ward revealed that Lee Minshull (Achilles), Simon Pettit (ankle) and Byron Walker (leg) are hoping to be fit for the big county cup clash.

And Ward hopes big central defender, Ryan Royston shakes off a knock to play against his former side.

“We’ll go up there and see what we do, be positive as we are and work from there,” said Ward.

“We’ve got quite a reputation in Cup games and we’ll be looking to go up there and win. I’m sure Jenko (Ian Jenkins) will have something to say about that.”

Ward, like Jenkins, will also make changes to team personnel.

“We’ll change the goalkeeper, we’ll give Jack Delo another go and Dan Tanner will play and we get a few back from injury. Lee Minshull, Simon Pettit and Byron Walker - hopefully we can get them on the park tomorrow night.”

www.kentishfootball.co.uk will be covering this game

Visit Cray Wanderers’ website: www.craywands.co.uk

Visit Ramsgate’s website:  www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk

Cray Wanderers v Ramsgate
Kent Senior Cup First Round
Tuesday 11^th November 2008
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF