Staying top is the hardest part, admits Frost - EXCLUSIVE

Wednesday 02nd January 2008

VCD Athletic assistant manager Dean Frost is keeping his feet on the ground, despite the on-form Crayford based club leading the Kent League table going into the new year, writes Stephen McCartney.

A run of seven straight league wins have propelled the Old Road outfit to the top of the Kent League table on 37 points from 16 games – four points clear of Thamesmead Town, who have played a game less.

Going into Saturday’s showdown against fourth placed Hythe Town at Oakwood, Frost, a central defender who played for VCD, Erith & Belvedere, Dartford and Bromley, knows you don’t win anything in the first week of January.

“It’s going to be a very tough game,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk following tonight’s training session.

“Hythe are probably one of the contenders at the start of the season and they’re a strong, physical side.

“They’re going to be a tough team to beat and we have to be at our best.

“If we play the way we’ve been playing, a steady and solid side, we would like to think we’d get something from the game.”

VCD Athletic come up against the leading goalscorer in Kent – striker Michael Smissen, whose scored 27 goals already this season.

Smissen, 23, signed a new contract just before Christmas, which will keep him at Reachfields Stadium until the end of next season.

But Frost will ensure the Vickers’ defenders keep tabs on the prolific hit-man.

“All we can do is play as we can do,” he said. “No-one in this league are unplayable or unbeatable.

“We’ve proved in our previous performances that we can match anyone.

”Smissen is a goalscorer but it’s all about beating Hythe Town Football Club and not one player.

“It’s proved in our performances that we’ve got a good team, rather than individuals.

“Hythe are a good, solid team, they all play for one another, played a few years together.

“We’re two similar sides, good team spirit, two solid teams, but we’ve got two or three good goalscorers in our team and are proven at this level and above – Richard Sinden and Leroy Huggins.”

But the emergence of striker Ben Mitchell, 24, is pleasing.

Frost declined to reveal Mitchell’s former clubs, but did mention that Mitchell has recently played for Halls Football Club in the lower reaches of the Kent County League.

“He’s been instrumental in our win against Beckenham, scored against them and Herne Bay and set one up in each game as well,” praised Frost.

But Frost knows remaining top of the tree for the remainder of the season is the hardest part.

“We take each week as it comes and whoever we come up against we try to play at our best and see what results we can get,” he said.

“Our run, it’s a good run. We worked hard to win seven games and now it’s going to be even harder to maintain it.

“We’ve got a good chance (of winning the Kent League title) but there’s two or three other sides with a great chance.”

And if Vickers clinch their first ever Kent League title then they should be playing Ryman League Division One South football next season.

“We’ve been told by the committee the plans are in place and are working on all the facilities to go up,” revealed Frost.

Visit club websites:

www.vcd-athletic.co.uk

www.hythetownfc.co.uk

VCD Athletic v Hythe Town
Kent League Premier Division
Saturday 5^th January 2008
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Oakwood, Old Road, Crayford, Kent DA1 4DN