Race for the Ryman: Saunders retires from playing Kent League football - EXCLUSIVE

With his side leading the Kent League table by ten points, Whitstable Town manager Marc Seager is treating the hosts with respect to avoid an embarrassing defeat in east London.

“As far as we are concerned it’s a top of the table fixture,” Seager told www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk earlier in the week.

“We will treat this game just the same as we did the one against Thamesmead.

“We will not be taking Sporting lightly, they will get our utmost respect and as long as we get the three points and keep the pressure on the sides below us, that’s all I will be focused on.

“I can’t stop others making predictions about what we will or won’t do for such a game.

“We will concentrate on playing football and getting the right result, which is three points for Whitstable Town.

“Then we will look towards preparing for the next game just the same as we have since the start of the season.”

Thamesmead Town manager Keith McMahon, whose side are ten points behind the Oystermen, hasn’t conceded the title.

“There’s 13 games left to go, lots of points to play for,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight.

“Until it’s mathematically out of our hands we haven’t conceded the title but Whitstable are in a very strong position. We can’t disagree with that.”

Despite losing 5-1 at Beckenham Town in their penultimate Kent League Cup group game on Wednesday night, McMahon admitted the result doesn’t give a true reflection on the game at Eden Park Avenue.

He said: “To be fair we played very, very well for the first 35 minutes and we’re the better side.

“My young goalkeeper, Adam Woodward, made a couple of mistakes after getting back on level terms so we were 3-1 down at half-time and we were shellshocked.”

Beckenham gave a trio their debuts during the game with Byron Glasgow (signed from Reading), Joe Healy (Millwall) and last season’s star, Ryan Martin coming into the side. Ashley Carew, who signed for Nationwide Conference South side Fisher Athletic recently, also played.

But McMahon admitted he had “no quarms” over Beckenham’s team selection.

He said: “There were three or four players that haven’t played for them this season but we don’t have any quarms about that.

“For the first 35 minutes we played very good. Second half their goalkeeper has made two fantastic saves, one from Dean Kearley, which was heading for the top corner.

“We had three or four other good chances but they hit us on the break.

“I’m not disappointed. 5-1 sounds like a mauling but it wasn’t a true reflection.

“We conceded some poor goals but it was one of those games where they scored from their chances. Six-six would have been a true reflection but to be fair Beckenham played very well on the night as well.

McMahon is expecting a tough time tomorrow when they play seventh placed side Herne Bay, who have already reached the semi-finals of the Kent League Cup for the second successive season, at Winch’s Field.

“It’s always very difficult to go to Winch’s Field to play Herne Bay,” he said.

“They’ve got good support and they get behind their team and it will be hard.

“Taking Wednesday’s performance out of the way, we are on the back of a great league result against Croydon but if we play well we’re expecting nothing less than three points.

Thamesmead finally complete their Kent League Cup Group D campaign on Monday night when they travel to Culverden Stadium to play Tunbridge Wells.

But if the fixture falls victim to another postponement, the game will be switched to the following night, but at Thamesmead’s Bayliss Avenue ground.

Thamesmead need to avoid defeat to qualify for the quarter-finals, but if they lose then it will be Tunbridge Wells who join Beckenham Town in the last eight.

But if the Mead qualify, they will make the short trip to Park View Road in Welling to tackle Erith & Belvedere in the quarter-finals, next SUNDAY, 11^th February (2pm).

But if Tunbridge Wells go through, the Mead welcome the Deres to Bayliss Avenue for a Kent League game on SATURDAY, 10^th February, as expected.

“I know it’s local but why do we have to go there on a Sunday - I can’t see the logic,” fumed McMahon.

“We would have been through by now if we had held onto a 4-1 lead over Beckenham,” McMahon said of their 4-4 draw with Becks on 9^th November.

“This game (against Tunbridge Wells) has been called off five or six times so it’s made a little bit of mockery of the League Cup, although I’ve always backed it, it’s never ending.

“We are expecting a tough game. We’ve played Tunbridge Wells three times already, haven’t lost to them, which is a bonus.

“I know Martin (Farnie) very well. He must be fed up that everyone tells him that they’re a good side.

“They know they have to come out to attack us and that will suite us. I’m definitely expecting a good performance as we do want to go through and I expect us to go through.

“But it’s never easy at Culverden Stadium with the conditions.”

McMahon drafts former Faversham Town striker, Ross Cable into his squad at Herne Bay tomorrow as he sat out the game at Beckenham as he was cup-tied.

McMahon also revealed that Scott Saunders has decided to retire from playing Kent League football - at the age of 32.

He added: “He just feels that the times right. Since I’ve been with the club he’s been superb and his attitude has been great so I wish him all the best.

“He’s thinking he just wants to go out on the top and he has.”

Visit club websites:

www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk

www.thamesmeadtownfc.co.uk

www.hernebayfc.net

www.tunbridgewellsfc.co.uk

www.kentleague.com