The title race is far from over, insists Harwood

HOLMESDALE skipper Danny Harwood hasn’t given up the ghost of winning the Bulmers Cider Kent League title at the end of the month, writes Stephen McCartney.

The former Erith & Belvedere, Bromley and Croydon goalkeeper, 35, blamed himself for Faversham Town’s one and only goal at Oakley Road in midweek, but insists the Dalers’ title hopes are not over.

Damian Abel’s fine first half drive across Harwood found the bottom far corner to hand Faversham the points, and Harwood, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk, said :Our finishing let us down tonight, it’s been good all season, it’s just one of those nights I guess.

"We created four or five gilt edged chances, didn’t take them, and they took their only chance of the night really.”

When asked whether he could have done better for Abel’s match winning strike, Harwood replied, “It’s difficult to say. You can always say you could always do better, you’re always disappointed when you let in a goal.”

Holmesdale squandered an excellent chance to move to within a point of long-time leaders Hythe Town had they beaten the Lilywhites on Tuesday night, but with many big games over the Easter period, Harwood insists their title hopes have not vanished.

“There’s still a lot of football to be played,” said Harwood, who had kept three successive clean sheets before Faversham’s visit.

“We go to Hythe in the penultimate game of the season (on 18^th April), VCD go to Hythe next week (Easter Monday), both teams are capable of dropping points.”

Holmesdale chairman Ray Tolfrey and manager Billy Hughes have both admitted the club are “punching above their weight” this season - but Harwood disagrees.

“You could’ve said (that) for the first half of the season, but we kicked on and we deserve to be where we are,” insisted Harwood.

“Not being big-headed, but we do play the best football in this league.”

Hythe Town play ugly long-ball football - although it is effective at this level - and Harwood added, “Well, you can say the same about Faversham and Deal - they play Kent League football.”

He added, “It’s been a great run and we’ve still got three games to go, we’re certainly not going to give up yet.

“I think the club’s going places, they’re doing it the right way. We started of the season very, very well and we continued that.

“When I came here the aim was to progress, I played the last ten games of last season, we went off the bottom and we finished third from bottom and we aimed for the top ten.

“We have superseded that and long may it continue - may we move on.”

With chairman Mr Tolfrey willing to step down at the end of the season, for somebody to take the club forward into the Ryman League, there is a fear that many of this season’s squad will move on to pastures new.

And Harwood added, “At the end of the day, it’s difficult to keep players if money’s their motivation. A club like Holmesdale can’t pay big wages, they pay a nice win bonus, which is always nice to get.

“If players are motivated by money then Holmesdale isn’t the club for them.”

Visit Holmesdale’s website: www.holmesdalefc.co.uk

Herne Bay v Holmesdale
Bulmers Cider Kent League
Good Friday, 10^th April 2009
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Winch’s Field, Stanley Gardens, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5SG