Herne Bay welcome rock bottom Beckenham Town to Winches Field this weekend as Steve Lovell’s side look to protect the final Play Off place in the Isthmian South-East and continue their remarkable run in 2024.
Since the turn of the year, Bay have collected nineteen points out of a possible twenty-four and have only been beaten by third placed Sittingbourne in those eight games and go into the weekend with striker Michael Salako off the back of a hat-trick that saw off Broadbridge Heath last weekend.
“Michael’s done well since he joined us,” Lovell told us this week. “He’s hit twenty since he joined us back in October, I think it was and he has really taken on board what Mark and I have asked of him.”
Both Lovells, no mean strikers in their respective playing careers, will appreciate Salako’s contribution more and Saturday was his second match- ball following on from a hat-trick in the 3-3 draw with Three Bridges just before Christmas.
“We’ve played well since Christmas and we have had to – Sittingbourne, Cray Valley and Ramsgate have all been playing well and have started to pull away a little bit and it is important that we keep going. I was really pleased with the way we went to Lancing after losing to Sittingbourne and won 3-0 and it was a great result and to get into the Play Off places now is great.”
“But in a really tough League, we have to keep going as last weekend proved that anyone can beat anyone with Ramsgate being beaten (by Merstham), Lancing slipping up at Sevenoaks – it’s really tough and when you think that the top three all still have to play each other as well, there really is a long way to go.”
Lovell confirmed that central defender Harrison Pont is a doubt for the weekend with an ankle problem as Lovell and his side prepare to face the division’s bottom two across the next two weekends.
“We know that they are fighting for their lives,” the Bay boss admitted, “We cannot think about Erith & Belvedere before we play Beckenham this weekend.”
“Last year it was them in our position and now they are adrift at the bottom and fighting for every single point. It really is a tough League this year and we will have to be at our best to get the points and keep our place because if we do not…”
With the top five sides all at home this weekend, Lovell knows completely of the importance of keeping his side’s terrific run going as the fight for the top spots in the Isthmian South Eastern table takes yet more twists as the final run in looms large on the horizon.