It’s a bit of a wrong time to be playing Chatham now, they are on an extraordinary run and away at their ground makes the fixture that bit more challenging, admits Sheppey United assistant Marcel Nimani

SHEPPEY UNITED assistant manager Marcel Nimani admits his unbeaten side are playing Chatham Town at the wrong time.

Ernie Batten’s side are unbeaten in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table but in second place in the table, having collected 47 points from their 17 league games.

Chatham Town, managed by chairman Kevin Hake and Carl Laraman, are sitting top of the table with 51 points from 19 games.

Chatham Town are currently unbeaten in 10 games in all competitions and have won their last six games, scoring 35 goals in the process and have added Dean Beckwith and striker Danny Kedwell to their ranks ahead of the eagerly-anticipated clash.

“It’s a bit of a wrong time to be playing Chatham now, they are on an extraordinary run and away at their ground makes the fixture that bit more challenging,” said Nimani on the eve of the Maidstone Road showdown.

“Chatham are a very experienced side with quality back to front and at home they are even sharper in front of goal.

“Although this is a high profile game, it is still just a league game and we are just about reaching the halfway point of the season, so the pressure on our side is not as much as one would think it is in such a high profile game.

“We have trained well this week and we are looking forward to the challenge tomorrow.”

When asked about if Sheppey United are experiencing any Covid-19 issues currently, Nimani replied: “We’ve had a few Covid cases in the squad, just like all teams, but with a big squad we have been able to cope well, so far.

“We have also had the return of Junior Aikhionbare and Malachi Hudson from injuries, which of course is a great boost to our selection.

“Whilst the season is still young, our focus remains on consistency.  We have a tough set of fixtures coming up, as well as a few midweek games, which we are expecting to be added to the calendar and in preparation we have added Warren Mfula and Dean Grant to the squad.  We feel they will bring quality and end product.”

Visit Sheppey United’s website: www.sheppeyunitedfc.co.uk

Chatham Town  v  Sheppey United
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Bank Holiday Monday 3 January 2022
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Maidstone Road Sports Ground, Bournville Avenue, Chatham, Kent ME4 6LR