Miles: I'm playing kids too early - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Chatham Town manager Phil Miles has been forced to blood youngsters into his first team squad due to having a budget that is “not that great,” writes Stephen McCartney.

The Medway club fell at the first hurdle in the FA Trophy, losing to an injury time winner at Maidstone Road in yesterday’s preliminary round defeat to AFC Sudbury.

Chatham born striker Rob Denness glanced home a header with 19 minutes remaining, scoring his second goal of the season, to cancel out Luke Hammond’s drive after just 26 seconds into the second half.

But AFC Sudbury, who reached three successive FA Vase finals from 2003, booked a home date with Kingstonian on 21 October when Neil Calver looped a header over goalkeeper John Whitehouse to send Chatham crashing out in front of 230 fans.

Miles handed slender winger Tyrone James his debut, having impressed in the reserves.

The 18-year-old played for Tooting & Mitcham United last season and is attending University in Chatham.

“I thought he done really well,” Miles said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after yesterday’s defeat.

“It’s a difficult game to come into as Sudbury were a very strong side.

“But he showed in places he could, in the future, give us something out wide.

“His impressed me in the reserves, looks lively, gets crosses in, takes players on, and I think he will be a very good acquisition in the future.

“Ideally I didn’t want to start him. I wanted to put him on (during the) last 15-20 minutes but at the end of the day circumstances said that I had to start him.

“He will be allright. I think he’ll be a good little player.”

But former assistant manager Miles, who replaced Steve Binks as first team manager during the close season, admitted he’s throwing youngsters into first team football too early.

“I do mention budgets and our budget here is not that great,” he said. “We have to bring players through our youth system to the (under) 16’s- 18’s to the reserves and we gradually feed two or three in.

“At the moment I’m probably playing too many youngsters for the league that we are in because we play other teams and you are playing eleven experienced older players.

“When we turn up we’ve got six kids who are 18.

“So I may not get the benefit of them but in the next four or five seasons they will become good players.

“But I know they will become good players but at the moment they have to start learning a little bit quicker.

“But they are all good players ability wise, but we need a bit more experience a few more games for the first team.

“But I am more than happy with what I’ve got at the moment.”

Chatham travel to Cray Wanderers next Saturday before welcoming Hastings United (17 October) and local rivals Sittingbourne (28 October) to Maidstone Road.

Visit Chatham Town's website:  www.chathamtownfc.net