We're looking forward to putting last season behind us, says Crockenhill boss Craig Clark

DEAL TOWN’S newly-appointed manager Darren Anslow takes charge of his first game when Lydd Town visit The Charles Sports Ground tomorrow.



Lydd Town finished ten points behind Hollands & Blair as runners-up in the Kent Invicta League last season, while Deal Town finished in thirteenth-place (bottom five) in the Southern Counties East Football League.

“I’m looking forward to Saturday’s game,” said Anslow.

“It’s a good opportunity for me to look at players and build a new squad at Deal Town against a side that performed very well in the Kent Invicta League last season.

“Hopefully after the game I’ll be able to speak to some players and start to announce signings over the next week or two.”
 
 LYDD TOWN boss Dave Smith said he will give some trailists a chance to impress him after losing three unnamed players to higher league clubs.

He said: “Saturday we travel to Deal for our first pre-season game.

“We do have a few changes from last year’s squad as three key players are trialling at higher grade clubs at the moment but we have retained the majority of the rest and will ourselves be giving some new faces a run.

“It’s been a tough summer as club’s come looking at taking players from us but it’s part of the game and you just have to get on with it.

“The Deal game will be a chance to blow off the cob webs and get good match play in after the hard work done in pre-season so far.”

Elsewhere, ASHFORD UNITED assistant manager Lloyd Blackman says he cannot wait for tomorrow’s friendly match at his former club Hythe Town.

“Players can’t wait to get going and are glad to be back playing games,” said striker Blackman.

“We’ve got a few players out due to work commitments (Keelan Mooney, Liam Whiting and Pat Kingwell), but (Andy) Irvine and Leonard are set to make their debuts.
 
 CROCKENHILL manager Craig Clark, meanwhile, hopes his side improve vastly on last season.

It was a miserable campaign for the Wested Meadow outfit as they won only one game and lost all of their other 30 in all competitions.

The Crocks play Corinthian at Wested Meadow tomorrow, with an eighteen-man squad available. 

Southern Counties East Football League side Corinthian are now managed by James Collins, who led Sutton Athletic to third-place in the Kent Invicta League and cup double last season.

“We’ve got a very young team,” said Clark.

“We’re looking forward to putting last season behind us.

“The quality of player at our pre-season training has been very good.

“Steve Devereux has done some excellent training and we’re ready to go.  Roll on August 9^th!”

VCD ATHLETIC manager Tony Russell says he needs to strengthen his squad after losing some influential players that helped the Crayford-based club win the Ryman League Division One North title on the last day of the season.

Russell revealed that five players have left Oakwood and he is looking to bring in replacements during the pre-season campaign ahead of the club’s inaugural Ryman Premier League campaign, which kicks off on 9 August.

“We’ve lost Barney Williams (who has gone back to Welling), Billy Manners and Teddy Nesbit have also left the club so we are really short on defenders at the moment,” said Russell.

“Billy has gone to Greenwich Borough. Not sure about Teddy.  Peter Smith has gone to Cray Wanderers.  Uche Ibemere is still recovering from his broken leg.

“Sherwin Stanley has also gone, not sure where.”

Vickers open their pre-season campaign with a home game against Conference Premier side Welling United next Tuesday.

He said: “We can’t compete at this stage for the sort of players we want but hoping to catch a few once the bigger clubs start cutting their squads down.

“I would rather wait for the right standard of player then go out and get players in for the sake of it.

“Playing Welling is not ideal at the moment but it’s a great chance for the boys we have on trial to show me, Razor (Ray Powell) and Nathan what they are made of."