Soccer Shorts: Robbins' relishing Telford showdown

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EBBSFLEET UNITED have announced that defender Gary MacDonald has left the club.

Twenty-nine-year-old MacDonald joined Ebbsfleet from Woking in June 2007 and in his first game for the club, on the opening day of last season against Northwich Victoria, suffered a serious Achilles injury which kept him sidelined for four months.

He played eight times for the Fleet, collecting a winner's medal from the FA Trophy victory over Torquay in May 2008, when he appeared as a second-half substitute.

The former Portsmouth, Peterborough United, and Havant & Waterlooville player was on non-contract terms this season at Stonebridge Road and found opportunities to break into the first team limited. He leaves the club by mutual agreement.

The Fleet have drafted in experienced former England Under 19 international midfielder Jamie Hand on a non-contract basis.

Hand, 24, began his career with Watford, making his league debut the old Division One in 2002 aged 17. He spent six seasons at Watford, clocking up 40 appearances, and also had two spells on loan at Oxford United, Huddersfield Town, Livingston, Peterborough United and Northampton Town.

He was signed on a free transfer from Watford by Chester City in May 2006 and went on to play more than 40 times for them.

Last season the hard-tackling midfielder was at Lincoln City, making 20 appearances, and from February 2008 he had a second spell at Oxford's Kassam Stadium, playing against the Fleet in the last game of the 2007-08 season.

"Jamie spent some time with us in pre-season," Fleet manager Liam Daish told www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk.: "He has played almost 150 league games and is still only 24. His experience is a welcome addition to our squad."

DARTFORD, who welcome Hastings United to Princes Park tomorrow, have signed former Dover Athletic and Welling United midfielder Jamie Day.

Boss Tony Burman said: “I have signed Jamie Day from Grays. I’m not sure whether the registration will go through in time for tomorrow.

“He has settled his differences with Grays and it was too good a deal for us to overlook a quality player.”

RAMSGATE boss Jim Ward has signed attacking midfielder Dane Sutton, 18, following his recent trial at Southwood Stadium.

Sutton, who was born in Chatham, was on Manchester United’s books at the age of nine, but injury prevented his entry to their school of excellence.

However, he made his mark as a teenager with the Jersey FA schoolboys before playing for Southend United’s youth team and reserves at sixteen.

He has also had trials at Oxford United and started last season in Gillingham’s youth side, which led to a first team trial at Scottish League first division side Livingston, but his dream of progress ended through a ligament injury.

The Rams travel to Boreham Wood tomorrow before hosting Tonbridge Angels on Bank Holiday Monday.

ASHFORD TOWN striker Mark Lovell is expected to be out for up to eight weeks, as the injury that he sustained against Walton Casuals last weekend isn’t as bad as feared.

Lovell attended a specialist unit in London last Tuesday and co-owner Don Crosbie updated concerned fans.

 “News on Mark after his specialist scan is that there is no rupture to the cruciate but there is a tear,” he told www.ashfordtownfc.co.uk.

“This is great news for Mark as he will not need an operation but merely healing time of between six to eight weeks. Great news for him and our team.”

TUNBRIDGE WELLS manager Mike Robbins admits tomorrow’s trip to Lordswood has some added spice as he comes face-to-face with Lords coach Martin Telford.

Robbins admits he’s still bruised over the manner in which his newly assembled side lost at North Dane Way last season.

And speaking to www.tunbridgewellsfc.co.uk, he said: “If there’s one team I’d want to beat this year, it would be Lordswood.

“We won’t be taking this one lightly, in spite of some of their early results.

Since that defeat, much has changed at Lordswood, much of it adding extra spice to the Bulmers Cider Kent League showdown.

“The Lordswood game will bring out all the obvious comparisons between Martin Telford and me,” said Robbins.

“I replaced him as the Ashford Town reserve team boss, and then eventually, my management career brought me here to Culverden.

“So I guess if history is anything to go by, the next stop for me will be Lordswood!

“Seriously though, Telford will get his lads right up for our visit - I don’t it’s a game he, or a number of his players, will want to lose either.

“Since our last visit there, several changes have happened, and you can almost pick eleven players from their squad who have played here or at Ashford Town.”

SITTINGBOURNE inflicted Merstham’s first home defeat since Boxing Day 2006 when Gary Abbott’s side won 2-1 at Moatside Stadium on Tuesday night - bouncing back from their opening day 4-0 defeat at home to Kingstonian.

Merstham had taken an eleventh minute lead through Michael Morgan, who had played for Tonbridge Angels against the Brickies at Central Park Stadium at the age of seventeen.

However, summer signing Eile Kayembe equalised for the Brickies four minutes before half-time before Richard Brady fired in the winner right on time.

Sittingbourne’s win was the first time that Merstham had lost on home soil since Chipstead won there on Boxing Day 2006. Merstham’s last league loss was 40 games ago, to Cove, on 11^th August 2007.

Abbott takes his side to Corinthian-Casuals on Saturday before playing their first Kent derby of the season, against Folkestone Invicta next Tuesday, 26^th August (7:45pm) - a game being covered by www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

Sittingbourne will face Chertsey Town in the preliminary round of this season’s FA Cup and the Bourne Park clash has been switched to Sunday, 31^st August (3pm).

The two sides met last season and the Kent side won 1-0.

Meanwhile, striker Tom Bradbrook, a summer signing from Dartford, is expected to be out for at least three weeks with a damaged Achilles.

MARGATE manager Barry Ashby was pleased with his side’s character after they fought back from 2-0 down to earn a point at Hartsdown Park on Tuesday night.

The Thanet club have bagged one point from their opening two Ryman Premier League games, having lost at 2-1 at much-fancied side Carshalton Athletic.

Hendon’s big striker Brian Haule, who scored during their 3-0 opening day win over ten-man Dartford, opened the scoring at Hartsdown Park and when Mark Kirby headed home from an acute angle following a corner, Margate had a mountain to climb.

But a vicious dipping shot from summer signing from Bromley, Wayne Wilson, and a close range header from Louis Smith completed the comeback, pleasing Ashby in the process.

“A typical game of two halves really,” Ashby told www.margate-fc.com. “I thought Hendon pretty much dominated the first half, very well organised.

“But I’m delighted with the second half, especially. That’s more like us. We’re a high-tempo team, we get in people’s faces and we try to play football the right way.

“Second half, we’ve come out and shown, I think, a lot of maturity. Overall, I think the whole team was excellent in the second half.”

Margate welcome Canvey Island to Hartsdown Park on Saturday before travelling to local rivals Dover Athletic on Bank Holiday Monday (both games kicking off at 3pm).

STRIKER Meshach Nugent could be in line to make his Maidstone United debut against Harlow Town at Bourne Park tomorrow.

The former Greenwich Borough striker signed for the Stones from Ryman League Division One South side Dulwich Hamlet on the eve of the new season.

Stones joint-boss Alan Walker admits he is pleased with his side’s start to their Ryman Premier League campaign.

“Unlike last year, we have not had a disastrous start to the season,” Walker told www.maidstoneunited.co.uk.

"I thought we were excellent last Saturday but disappointing on Tuesday. We have a lot of players in the squad who are brilliant passes of the ball and we will be stressing to the boys that we want them to get the ball down and play it around tomorrow.”

Maidstone United opened their campaign with a 2-0 win at Heybridge Swifts and that was followed by a disappointing goalless draw with Canvey Island at Bourne Park in midweek.

The Stones travel to Hastings United on Bank Holiday Monday - a game being covered by www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

There are injury doubts on whether or not both Ian Selley and Elliot Bradbrook will be fit and Keelan Mooney is still suffering from a virus.

Nugent, however, came through last night’s training session without a reaction to his injury and so he will be included in the squad to face a Harlow Town side that lost 2-0 at Tonbridge Angels in midweek, after holding Sutton United to an opening day draw.

YOUNG Whitstable Town winger Jack Tanner, a summer signing from Dover Athletic, suffered an Achilles injury during the 3-2 win over Croydon Athletic at the Belmont Ground.

Tanner had already showed glimpses of why he was man-of-the-match during the previous game , a 2-1 defeat at Chipstead.

“It looks a bad one,” Seager told www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk. “Young Jack has been flying in pre-season and it was no surprise that he started off our league campaign so well.

“Against Chipstead he had a great first half, the goal came from his work down the right and got us back in the game right on half-time, just a pity we couldn’t converted any of the chances we created second half.

“It looks like he could be out for anything between six and ten weeks, which is a massive blow.

“It was a hard but fair tackle, I think the lads momentum caught Jack on the calf as he went down, but we have to get on with it and I always say that it’s a chance for one of the other lads to show what they can do.”

Whitstable welcome Burgess Hill Town to Belmont Road on Saturday and play their first Kentish derby on Bank Holiday Monday, at Ashford Town. Both games kick off at 3pm.

BANK HOLIDAY Monday’s Bulmers Cider Kent League match between Beckenham Town and Greenwich Borough has now been switched to Borough’s Harrow Meadow ground, kicking off at 11am.

Beckenham Town applied to the Kent League for the game, which was originally scheduled for Eden Park Avenue to be changed after contractors informed the club that they would not be able to deal with an electrical problem in time for the Bank Holiday Monday game to be played.

ERITH TOWN, who thumped Potton United 7-1 in the FA Cup extra preliminary round - in front of a crowd of just 25 last weekend - have added to their squad.

Dockers manager Steve O’Boyle has made six new signings to strengthen the squad that he inherited from former boss Mark Tompkins.

The new arrivals to Bayliss Avenue are goalkeeper Paul Agu, who played for Tilbury last season, the experienced defender Tony Gallagher, who has previously played for Thamesmead Town, Slade Green and Beckenham Town.

Midfielder Roland Duo, who had a spell at Bromley last season, rejoins the club, along with the skilful midfielder Danny Beszant.

Full-back Ibrahim Kallon has been added to the squad and was signed from Croydon following last season’s stint at Greenwich Borough.

Midfielder Stuart Abbott, who was a former YTS at Fulham, and has also played for Dartford and Erith & Belvedere, arrives from rivals’ VCD Athletic.

A club statement issued on www.erithtownfc.co.uk, added: “O’Boyle sees these experienced and exciting players as vital additions to the club if the Dockers are to improve on last season’s achievements and has hinted that there may be some more new faces at the club, sooner rather than later.”

VCD ATHLETIC, who welcome Herne Bay to Oakwood on Saturday, have snapped up central defender Bill Edwards from their local rivals Erith Town.

Edwards comes with a wealth of experience, having played in the Conference for many years for Margate and Fisher Athletic.

Edwards was a former team mate of Vickers boss Paul Foley at Fisher Athletic.

Nick Hegley, a summer signing from Maidstone United, is on the mend following his bad ankle injury sustained in a pre-season friendly against Tooting & Mitcham.

The winger has been having intensive treatment from the new Vickers physic Phil Jeffs and he is expected to be available for selection shortly.

Long-haired midfielder Gary Ward has also been having intensive treatment on his long standing patella problem and a diagnosis has been made with corrective treatment to enable the player to train and work on his quad muscles.

Goalkeeper Alex Hyde is now training again after his training ground ankle injury last month. He is expected to be in action soon for the reserves after impressing in pre-season training.

SURPRISE package Holmesdale have made two recent signings.

Joel Greaves scored a hat-trick on his debut against Greenwich Borough last weekend and experienced playmaker Aaron Smith arrives from Sevenoaks Town.

Smith’s experience and quality will be invaluable as Holmesdale look to build on their impressive start. Smith will join up with his new team mates once he has returned from holiday.