It's obvious we need to improve as a team, says Hythe Town boss Tim Dixon

HYTHE TOWN manager Tim Dixon says he is targeting the play-offs despite going down to a poor opening day defeat.


The Cannons went down to a 1-0 defeat to Burgess Hill when defender Laurence Harvey and goalkeeper Dan Eason gifted Greg Luer a first half winner.

The result puts them in the bottom six in the Ryman League Division One South table after 90 minutes of football.

Dixon takes his side to Kent rivals Herne Bay on Tuesday night and on to newly-promoted East Grinstead Town on Saturday.

Sam Denly’s side came away from relegated Carshalton Athletic with a goal-less draw, while the Wasps came away from reprieved Redhill with a point in 1-1 draw, courtesy of Dan Turner’s last-gasp leveller.

“Tuesday night is another Kent derby, they seem to come round very, very quickly,” said former Ramsgate boss Dixon.

“We’ve got to be better than we were on Saturday. We’ve had an up-and-down pre-season. It’s obvious we need to improve as a team, personnel, but it’s very new. It wasn’t going to be an immediate fix.

“It’s a very hard game. Sam’s signed a few as well, but he’s kept the basis of his squad from last season so there’s a lot of familiarity there.

“We’re still finding our feet but we need to find our feet very, very soon, otherwise we’ll be chasing the pack.”

Dixon expects another tough game, against East Grinstead in Sussex next weekend.

“East Grinstead won’t be easy,” he warns.

“They’re a new team in the league. You find the teams that have come up in the league are unknown commodities.

“I remember Crawley Down coming up and Redhill coming up both starting really well.  Three Bridges were the same when they came up.

“I expect a difficult game there as well so we’ve got to be firing on all cylinders.”

Dixon has set the club a target of finishing in the top five at the end of his first season in charge.

The club finished in the top eight last season, in what turned out to be Scott Porter’s last season in charge.

Dixon said: “The board are sensible, they know it’s going to take time. I’m a bit eager, a bit too keen.

“I’ve always been a winner. I’ve always want to do well.  I put my head on the block straight away and said I want to push for the play-offs, but we’re a little bit off that sort of quality at the moment but if you haven’t got ambition what’s the point?

“I’ve got some players in the team that have played at a good level of football. 

“If I was to say at the beginning of the season I think we’ll struggle, what sort of manager is that?

“You’ve got to have ambition. Me, Steve (Nolan), Darren (Beale) and Laney (Mark Lane), we want to push on as a football club.  We want to do well so a little bit of patience, we’ll take our time but we need that quality going forward and we’ll start getting some results.”

Visit Hythe Town’s website: www.hythetownfc.co.uk

Herne Bay  v  Hythe Town
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 12^th August 2014
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Winch’s Field, Stanley Gardens, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5SG