Soccer Shorts: Sittingbourne boss Gary Abbott happy to throw in 16-year-old against Leatherhead

Friday 05th November 2010

Click here for tonight’s Soccer Shorts’ articles.

EBBSFLEET UNITED boss Liam Daish has worked wonders to form a squad from scratch, promotion back to the Blue Square Bet Premier is definitely on the cards.

The team has quickly gelled, is performing well and Daish has made it clear that this his goal for the season is an immediate return to the non-league top flight.

As the season progresses, injuries and suspensions may well take their toll and back-up provided by a stronger squad may well be needed. The problem, of course, is lack of funds.

MyFC members and fans alike have been very generous in the past but finances are tight. The “adopt a player” scheme has quite rightly focused on the future and has an eye on helping to keep squad members into the next season.

The priority for this pledge, though, is to secure the funds needed to provide that little extra that can make all the difference later in the season.

The pledge has been set at a low entry figure of £10 to suit most people's budget and to get as many people on board as possible.

The opportunity will be given, however, to donate multiples of £10 if the pledge is successful. Pledges can be paid via the MyFC online shop which is open to all and you can give as much as you can comfortably afford. Every £10 will make a difference.

The Fleet travel to AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup First Round tomorrow (3pm).

BROMLEY - who welcome Farnborough to Hayes Lane tomorrow - have unveiled the return of youngster Harry Harding, on work experience from Reading.

The midfielder admits to being keen to give something back to the club that helped him from a young age. “It's very good to be back to be honest. Having been here from under 16 level, the club has done a lot for me and I'm going to try and give something back by helping the club perform as well as they can,” Harding told www.bromleyfc.net.

The midfielder signed for Championship side Reading last season after impressing for the Lillywhites, and Harding has enjoyed his time at the Royals so far.

“It's been very good so far,” he said. “I got a goal for the reserve side in pre-season and now I need to look to kick on and try and impress the first team manager (Brian McDermott). Being at a club like Bromley will definitely help me because the club has a lot going for it.”

After coming through the academy at Hayes Lane, Harding has spent the last year and a half with Reading's academy and admits to learning a lot, even earning a place on Soccer AM's “Skill School”.

He said: “Being at Reading has definitely taught me a lot. Coming from the Bromley academy system to a Championship side like Reading has shown me how different it can be and it makes you want to take advantage of it and hopefully I can continue doing that.”

Harding had a previous work experience spell with Bromley, as well as spells with Oxford City, Kettering Town and Croydon Athletic.

The midfielder admits to preferring to play in a competitive environment as opposed to reserve team games.

He said: “It can get a bit tedious and boring at times when you are playing in reserve team games that don't really mean anything and now I've been lucky enough to have a number of spells out on work experience.

“Coming to a side like Bromley who are trying to compete is great for me because I thrive on that sort of pressure and hopefully it will help me improve.”

The midfielder made his début for Bromley in the 3-0 defeat by Newport County in October 2008, stepping off the substitutes bench despite only being in his first year with the Bromley academy set up at Kelsey Park, and thanks Murray Jones and Mark Goldberg for giving him the chance to impress.

“Everyone needs a bit of luck in football and luckily I was working with Murray Jones at the academy who was really good to me. He was working with both the academy and the first team at the time and Mark Goldberg then took a chance on me and I managed to repay him after being really happy to get the chance.”

Despite enjoying his time at Bromley from a young age, Harry admits that it was always his ambition to become a professional footballer, and the midfielder is striving to make that dream come true as he looks to earn a professional deal with the Royals this summer.

“It was something that I have been striving to do for years. Being at Bromley at such a young age was ideal but everyone wants to be a professional footballer. Luckily, I got the move to Reading and it's now just a matter of continuing to play well and hopefully I will be able to get a professional deal at the end of the season.”

Harding joined the Royals after an impressive first season at Hayes Lane, and admits the move had been on the cards for a while after he impressed in the 1-1 draw with Bath City in March 2009, scoring his first senior goal in the process.

“I had played a couple of first team games for Bromley and Reading had obviously heard I was doing well. They came to watch me in the game against Bath City where I was fortunate enough to score my first goal for the club, and from then on they showed more interest in me and were front runners to sign me the following summer so I ended up going there on a two-year scholarship deal.”

Despite moving on to a higher level, Harding confessed to always keeping track of Bromley results, especially with the great start made to this season.

He added: “I always look to see how their doing since I've left and they have been getting a lot of publicity this season so it has been hard not to see their results!”

DOVER ATHLETIC are pleased to announce that prolific striker Adam Birchall has signed a two year extension to his contract, which keeps the player at the club until 2013.

Birchall signed a two-year contract at Crabble in July 2009, having been released by Barnet earlier in the summer. He has played more than 150 games in the Football League.

Meanwhile, Sky Sports News viewers can hear the 19-goal striker’s thoughts on his new contract, playing for Dover and the FA Cup game at Gillingham, on Sky Sports News tomorrow.

WELLING UNITED player-manager Jamie Day says his free-scoring side should be wary of St Albans City when the Hertfordshire side visit Park View Road tomorrow.

“Tomorrow’s game is not going to be easy as they have had a good result on Monday at Chelmsford and will have taken some confidence into our game,” Day told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“We have to keep playing the way we have in the last three games and hopefully continue to keep scoring goals.

“We will be looking to get three points from the game and hopefully we can.”

Meanwhile, the club have confirmed that Femi Omogbegin has departed the club as he has moved out of the area and it would no longer be possible to play for the club. Day has brought in 19-year-old defender Osa Obamwonyi, who has previously played for Dulwich Hamlet and Fisher Athletic.

CRAY WANDERERS' assistant manager Paul Blade hopes results go favourable for the Wands tomorrow ahead of Sunday’s clash with Wealdstone at Hayes Lane (3pm).

The Wands climbed into seventh place in the Ryman Premier League table with an impressive 2-1 home win over Carshalton Athletic in midweek.

“Sunday’s game will be tough but after Tuesday’s result it gave everyone a big lift and with a few injured players being back fit it makes our squad stronger,” Blade told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“Hopefully results go our way Saturday, then a win could move us higher so that’s a big incentive for the players, but they have been on a good run of late so we know it’s going to be a hard game”.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley says his side’s midweek FA Carlsberg Trophy win away to Thamesmead Town will increase confidence going into tomorrow’s trip to Canvey Island, where they bid to climb out of the relegation zone.

Cugley’s side impressed during their 3-1 win at Bayliss Avenue, which earned a trip to Blue Square Bet South Eastleigh in the final qualifying round on 20 November, but before that Cugley told www.kentishfootball.co.uk that he is concentrating on the league.

“We haven’t been playing too well but we’ve only lost one in our last six games so we’re not doing that too bad,” said Cugley.

“I think we’re all a bit fed up, depression around the place as we haven’t been playing very well and it’s time, but to lose only one in the last six is all credit to them. We’ve won four, drawn one and lost one. It ain’t too bad but we haven’t played very well or haven’t played any exciting football especially at home to keep the fans’ happy and that’s what we’ve got to do.”

James Everitt has completed his three-match suspension and is available for the trip to Park Lane.

Cugley said: “It’s slowly getting there. Jimmy Dryden’s getting fitter so maybe in a couple of weeks, hopefully, we’re starting to get a bit of a squad together to hopefully stay up.

Margate return to League action tomorrow (Saturday) when Bury Town are the visitors to Hartsdown Park.

MARGATE welcome sliding Bury Town to Hartsdown Park tomorrow, still rueing the loss of injured striker Shaun Welford.

Bury started their first season in the Ryman League Premier Division with a run of seven games without defeat, taking them towards the top end of the table.

But two defeats from their next four games have seen last season’s Zamaretto League Division One Midland champions slip to ninth in the table, but still within touching distance of the play-off positions.

Margate go into this Ryman League Premier Division match on the back of two goal-less stalemates, against Billericay Town and Concord Rangers and still missing the injured Welford.

Indeed the big former Dover striker has been sorely missed as manager Iain O’Connell tries to find the right combination of players to mitigate his absence.

With Darren Marsden’s departure and Jay Saunders’ suspension, new signing Dan Stubbs comes straight into the side and Dean Grant should start with the option of the former Dover youngster or James Pinnock playing up front with Gillingham loanee Andy White.

One other option could be to move Craig Cloke into midfield and bring John Keister into the middle of the defence where he has played so well when called on this season.

Margate have only been beaten once at home in the league this season and Bury just once away, so an intriguing contest looks to be on the cards.

Stubbs enjoyed a summer playing for Akureyri in League 1 – the second tier - of the Iceland league and comes back to Gate following the departure of Marsden, who has returned to Kent League side Herne Bay.

Last season, Stubbs was Supporters’ Player of the Year having made 33 appearances including four from the bench, scoring four goals. In the 2008/09 season, he made 44 appearances, seven from the bench, scoring three times.

He goes straight into the squad for Saturday’s match against Bury Town and looks set to start in midfield.

MAIDSTONE UNITED have launched a loyalty promotion scheme in time for tomorrow’s visit of leaders Sutton United.

Fans can earn free entry to a home Ryman Premiere League match by collecting six stamps on their loyalty card.

Fans can earn their first stamp tomorrow, but bring a friend on Tuesday and get a stamp for you and them so within two games, you’re halfway there.

New boss Andy Ford told www.kentishfootball.co.uk ahead of tomorrow’s game that he still “needs two players,” and is sweating on the fitness of Simon Glover, Jermaine Darlington and Tom Parkinson.

The former Welling United boss said: “I’m expecting a tough game. It’s our hardest game so far and it’s a good test for us.”

Meanwhile, director Terry Casey has kept fans up to date with his weekly blog on www.maidstoneunited.co.uk and revealed that the club is still crippled by debt.

“The facts are that we have inherited a business that loses almost £2,000 each week,” he said.

“The £3,000 we will receive from the FA from Saturday’s FA Trophy win at Cray Wanderers is very welcome.

“We inherited debts that had to be settled such as a loan secured on the land that was carrying a double figure interest rate from a mortgage company that could have repossessed the land at Whatman Way had we not settled.

“We are also trying to secure the freehold to the land from the Ministry of Defence. There are numerous other creditors that have to be satisfied to give confidence to all future investors and to restore integrity and credibility to the club.

“To save the club it has already cost well over £100,000 and to ensure the club continues until the end of the season it could conceivably cost a further £100,000. Further funds must be directed at advertising and promotional campaigns to attract about £1million to construct the stadium. If we are determined to attract this funding otherwise all the money that has been invested will have been wasted.

SITTINGBOURNE boss Gary Abbott says he is “not worried about putting in” sixteen-year-old defender Shaun Raggatt against Ryman League Division One South leaders Leatherhead at Bourne Park tomorrow.

With Tom Bradbrook, Joe Horlock, Nick Reeves and Sam Collins all out, Abbott revealed the teenager who has been borrowed from Dover Athletic will get his chance against a Leatherhead side with only one defeat to their name.

“Shaun Raggatt will start and he is only 16,” Abbott told www.kentishfootball.co.uk. “I’m not worried about putting him in.

“It’s a tough game, obviously. I’ve got four key players missing, which is a massive blow, but we’ll get on with it and try and get something out of the game.”

Abbott, who admits to be short of numbers for his substitutes bench, added: “Leatherhead are top of the table but I’m not worried one little bit. The pressure’s on them and we will have a go.

THAMESMEAD TOWN boss Keith McMahon says he is looking for a reaction when AFC Sudbury visit Bayliss Avenue tomorrow.

The Mead were dumped out of the FA Carlsberg Trophy by Ryman Premier Leaguers Folkestone Invicta last Tuesday and McMahon will hand a debut to central defender Richard Avery, who has arrived from Faversham Town, as he will be without the suspended Lewis Tozer.

“It’s a big signing for us,” McMahon told www.kentishfootball.co.uk , when speaking about the former Dartford and Chatham Town star.

“It’s no hidden secret, we’ve been after Richard. I spoke to him last year and he decided to choose Faversham over us and then he’s not enjoying it there and he’s decided he fancies having a go here.

“He’ll give us a bit more experience, be a lot more solid at the back and hopefully he’ll bolster us up.”

McMahon admitted players “let down the club” against Folkestone and he wants a reaction against Sudbury and away to Tilbury next Tuesday.

“We’ve got to bounce back or we will get thumped again,” warned the manager.

“We’ve got a couple of players coming in and some players will get a start on Saturday.

“Bradley Spice came on for his first appearance (against Folkestone) from injury and I thought he looked quite lively and he took his penalty well and he puts pressure on a couple of lads who have been taking it for granted.”

With his side sitting in fifth place in the Ryman League Division One North table with 23 points from 12 games - Sudbury are in thirteenth place, and although Tilbury are fourth-from-bottom, McMahon is still expecting a tough Tuesday night at Chadfields.

He said: “Again, it’s going to be difficult. It’s not the best surface. Every team in our league is a hard game and we need to perform.

“If we play like we did against Folkestone, we won’t get another point for the rest of the season! Play like we have in the last nine games, then we’ll be ok.”

WHITSTABLE TOWN manager Mark Lane has signed central defender Sam Groombridge, 22, on loan from Margate and he’ll make his debut against Fleet Town at Belmont Road tomorrow.

The Oystermen are struggling in Ryman League Division One South again this season, with only 9 points from 12 games and will be looking to claim three points against the Hampshire side to climb out of the relegation zone.

Lane told www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk: “We can still finish in a decent position in the league even though we are second from bottom after twelve games. I know the league table does not lie and at the moment we are where we are but we have been so close to getting a result in at least half the matches we have lost so far. We keep missing out on the points by the odd goal.

“Last season we could not score and were getting beat three or four nil, that’s not the case now but we need to stay sharp in front of goal but start to tighten up at the back that is why we have brought to the club on loan Sam Groombridge.

“Sam is 22 year old he is an agile, mobile & intelligent centre back from Margate FC. The transfer is for a period of 28 days effective this Saturday to Saturday 4th December inclusive.”

Lane added: “We are looking to bring in one or two more players to the club and strengthen the squad when the players we believe are right for Whitstable are available.”

ERITH & BELVEDERE have signed left-winger, Kirk Watts, 31, from Tonbridge Angels.

The experienced midfielder has played for numerous clubs including Croydon Athletic, Tooting & Mitcham United, Bromley, Lewes and Gravesend & Northfleet and normally plays on the left side of midfield where he is known to terrorise defenders with his telling crosses.

Meanwhile, Erith & Belvedere have lost a second youngster to Crystal Palace.

Under 14 player Raphael Inebode has been invited to a six week trial period with the Crystal Palace Football Club Academy.

He joins Alex Arif who has already signed schoolboy forms with the South London club.

ERITH TOWN manager Tony Russell has revealed he has lost the services of Rikki Cable, Leroy Huggins and Ted Hart in recent weeks and one more is expected to go following tomorrow’s Kent League home game against Deal Town.

“It’s not been great this past two or three weeks with players going etc, but I’m just starting to rebuild now and I’m hopeful we will have a new face up front for us some Saturday, who I’m really happy to have got in,” Russell told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“We will be telling the players to get back to enjoying football and go and relax and express themselves.

“Deal is always a hard game and we are not in good nick at the moment but if needed we will have to just find a way of getting a result.

“I’m hoping to bring in one, maybe two more then we can get back to the levels we were at before and go on a winning run.”

GREENWICH BOROUGH manager Steve Firkins has trimmed his squad and has released

Luke Tanner, Tommy Lau, Gabriel Adesina, Bob Dixey, Chris Asante.

It’s third-versus-fourth tomorrow as Beckenham Town welcome Greenwich Borough to Park View Road - and Firkins wants his side to leapfrog over Jason Huntley’s men.

“This should be a good game to watch for any neutrals as we’re two decent sides in the top four,” Firkins told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“We are looking forward to tomorrow’s visit to Eden Park Avenue and playing on probably one of the best pitches in the Kent League.

“Beckenham deserve their place at the top as they have shown consistency throughout the start of the season, whereas in our case we haven’t and that’s been the frustrating thing for us.

“I could make excuses about injuries and suspensions but we should be capable to get around these problems.

Explaining why he has off-loaded five players, Firkins said: “We have trimmed down the squad and have decided to go with around 17 players. This is a gamble but it was a necessary move.

HERNE BAY boss Simon Halsey has added Darren Marsden to his squad for tomorrow’s trip to the bleak Mile End Stadium to face unpredictable Sporting Bengal United in the second leg of their Kent League Cup tie.

“Being 4-0 up will make the second leg a lot easier but I will be fielding a full strength side and looking to continue our unbeaten run,“ Halsey told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“Marso returns to the squad, although we have not missed him,“ especially as his side top the Kent League table with 22 points from 11 games.

Halsey added: “I’ve got one more to add to the jigsaw then it’s complete, which I am trying to finalise before the game.”

Marsden was rated as the best player in the Kent League last season with his silky skills and he was second top goalscorer last season.

Meanwhile, Simon Moore has decided he wants to play first team football and feels that he will not get this at Herne Bay with the current squad.

Halsey added: “Sid has been a great servant to the club, both in training and when he has played. He was a great asset on the pitch and in the dressing room. He will be missed, we all wish him well for wherever he decides to play.”

HOLMESDALE have confirmed that they has been removed from the Kent League Cup with immediate effect following the First Round First Leg away tie at Erith & Belvedere last weekend.

A club statement, published on www.holmesdalefc.co.uk said: “The club was contacted by the Kent League and informed it was in breech of cup rule 4(b) playing a loaned player.

“Holmesdale accepted this decision and fine without protest. The committee would like to apologise for this oversight.

“Holmesdale would like to assure all entrants of the Premier League Cup it was an honest mistake and we were not seeking to deliberately gain an advantage.”

SEVENOAKS TOWN’S latest arrival, Richie Stevens, is pleased to be at a new club and is ready for a fresh challenge.

The 20-year-old from Sidcup made his debut against old team Corinthian last Saturday, just a couple of weeks after playing his final game for the Gay Dawn Farm based club,

He scored a hat-trick in the 5-1 FA Vase win at Ash United last month, and his eye for goal is one of the reasons why Keith Levett wanted to bring him to the club.

Stevens told www.sevenoakstownfc.org: "I worked with him and Murray (Carcary) at Welling, and they spoke to me before the start of the season about coming to Sevenoaks, but I decided to stay and see what happened at Corinthian.

"I was in the first team squad at Welling about 18 months ago when Andy Ford was in charge, and he left and Jamie Day took over, but I didn't really get a look-in there after that.

" I felt I needed a new club and a fresh start, I know some of the other boys as well. I am looking forward to scoring a couple of goals, settling down, and give 100 per cent to the team.

Sevenoaks manager Levett said: Richie's all-round game is excellent, I just want him to be a little bit more selfish in front of goal. It means he scores more and gets more recognition.

“He accepts he needs to be a bit more like that, which is positive, and I think, he, Adam Marsh, Benji Agana and Leon Farrell offer us a nice combination of strikers."

Stevens’ final two games for Corinthian both ended in 4-0 defeats against Tunbridge Wells, and lines up against them on Saturday, hoping to turn around a 1-0 League Cup deficit from a fortnight ago, and preserve Sevenoaks' interest in the competition, having been runners-up to Herne Bay last season.

Billy Shinners, meanwhile, has joined Ryman League Division One South side Chatham Town. The former Sevenoaks Town top scorer signed this week, having started the season with Kent League Erith Town, before moving onto Sussex County League side East Grinstead.

Defender Charlie Burgess is the latest player to move away from Greatness Park.

Levett said: "We exchanged texts, he wasn't happy to play in the reserves and I can understand that. He wanted regular first team football, and so has decided to look for another club. There is no bad feeling on my part, and hopefully not his. He is nice lad and we wish him all the best."

TUNBRIDGE WELLS have signed one and lost one player recently.

Most supporters will have noticed Elstrom Die's name on the scoresheet in last Saturday’s win at Deal Town.

The Frenchman signed from East Grinstead, but will have caught the eye last season, playing and scoring regularly for fellow Kent League outfit Fisher.

"Elstrom scored a very important goal for us just after half time at Deal," manager Martin Larkin told www.tunbridgewellsfc.co.uk. "He is incredibly quick and a real handful, so hopefully we can integrate him into our system smoothly and quickly."

Alex Flisher has returned to Maidstone United though, and was in the starting line-up for their FA Trophy win over Cray Wanderers. "It is a huge blow to lose him," Larkin remarked, "but he goes with our best wishes. The Ryman Premier is a great league to be involved in, as we found out in our FA Cup game with Carshalton."

VCD ATHLETIC manager Ricky Bennett says he wants to continue the impressive run of form going into a very important November.

The Crayford based side are unbeaten in their last three games, since being stunned to a home defeat by Tunbridge Wells.

“It’s a big month for us and we need to maintain our form,” Bennett told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

Looking forward to the home Kent League game against Fisher tomorrow, the rookie manager said: “We know Fisher haven’t had the best of results of late but they’ve faced some tough opposition lately and they are a side similar to us with a lot of young players that want to play football so it will be like all Kent League games are, if you don’t turn up with the right attitude and you’re not willing to work hard then you can get beat.

“Hopefully we perform as is expected and we get the three points that will keep us in a good position in the league as we face two tough Cup games against Hythe in the Vase and Greenwich Borough in the League Cup before we go to Beckenham at the end of the month in the League.

“Speaking of Hythe in the Vase, I’d like to congratulate everyone down at Hythe for their fantastic FA Cup run and wish them all the best tomorrow at Hereford.”

KENT LEAGUE chairman Denise Richmond reminds clubs interested in joining the new step 6 league in Kent that the deadline for making their applications has been extended to Wednesday 10 November.

“There was a delay at the Football Association in sending out the letters to interested parties with the FA Leagues and Clubs manager Mike Appleby now extending the deadline for forms to be returned,” she said.

“Clubs across Kent will receive information in the next day or two on the new step 6 league and the revised ground grading requirements.

“Those clubs that have not received a letter by Friday 5th November should contact their league secretary or the KCFA for further guidance.”