We seem to being held back by a bit of a lack of ambition, says Metrogas boss Roy Davies

METROGAS manager Roy Davies criticised the club’s ambition after halting his side’s rise up the football pyramid.

The club won the Haart of Kent County League Premier Division title with a 3-0 home win over second-placed Sheppey & Sheerness United last Saturday.

The game was switched to Meridian’s ground in Charlton, owing to cricket being played at Metrogas’ ground in New Eltham.

It was the third year running that Metrogas took their season to the last game of the season.

Davies’ side chocked at the end of last season when they suffered a 2-1 home defeat to fourth-placed Fleet Leisure at Coney Hall’s Tiepigs Lane on 18 May 2013, which handed the league title to Hildenborough Athletic.

Fleet Leisure were awarded promotion to the Kent Invicta League and finished in fourth-place in the table – the club’s highest ever finish – but sacked manager Lee Richmond, 51, yesterday afternoon, despite reaching the Kent Invicta League Challenge Trophy Final at the weekend, which they lost 3-0 to Sutton Athletic.

“It was an emotional build-up to the game, I’ve got to be honest with a few injuries that we had etc, etc,” said Davies.

“But even though it was a home game we had to play it away at Meridian and everything went right for us on the day. We played really well.”

Davies revealed his players were keen to finish off the job and avoid the disappointment that they felt 12 months ago.

He said: “It was the attitude of the boys was so discerning that it wasn’t going to happen.  You could sense it in the dressing room, you could just sense it.”

Reflecting on their final day dramas of the past, Davies added: “It’s three years actually because we finished runners-up in (Kent County League) Division One (West).  The similar thing happened. We got beat on the final day. We needed Hildenborough to lose or draw and they managed to win so it’s the third time that it’s happened!”

But champions Metrogas will remain in the Haart of Kent County League and Sheppey & Sheerness United – who complete their campaign with a home game against Erith 147 Sports on Saturday – will gain promotion in to the Kent Invicta League in their place.

“Again, unfortunately we haven’t got our ground ready to go up this season,” revealed a disappointed Davies.

“It’s something that we want to do but we seem to being held back by a bit of a lack of ambition from the people that have the final day within the club.

“That’s none of the people that do the volunteer work. It’s the people who run the sports ground who don’t really seem to be interested with the football progressing.

“There’s nothing worse than that, seeing no ambition from the ground staff and people.”

Davies insists this has to change if the club are ever to progress into the Kent Invicta League in the future.

“That’s got to be the shout hasn’t it? Hopefully we can get something in place where by we can get promoted. That’s got to be the ultimate aim.”

Meanwhile, Kent League football was last played in the island of Sheppey in 2001 when Sheppey United withdrew after 21 league games into the season.

The Ites look set to change their name back to Sheppey United in time for next season’s Kent Invicta League campaign.

But Davies looks on in disappointment.

He said: “They’ve improved their ground when we was down there earlier in the season and they’ve done a lot of ground improvements from last year. I’m sure they’re ongoing.

“They’ve got a good chairman, a good benefactor, who has put a lot of time, effort and money into their club and this is what you need to go on in these leagues.”

Visit Metrogas’s website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/metrogasfc