Cray Valley PM will be looking for an upturn in their rollercoaster season on Saturday when they make the short trip through the Dartford Tunnel to face Aveley with manager Steve McKimm hoping to return with three points.

The Essex side are the form side in the Isthmian Premier with last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Princes Park against Ady Pennock’s Dartford their only defeat in eighteen League matches in a run that stretches back to mid-September.

For Steve McKimm’s side, their last ten matches have encapsulated their season – Valley have lost their last five scoring just once, after taking thirteen points the previous five games. 

It’s a run that has Valley in the bottom four on goal difference alone behind Hashtag United but just two points behind Cheshunt who are four places above the drop line. 

Talking with KSN this week, the Valley boss admitted, “It’s been tough and it will be tough until the last game of the season!”

“We have to roll our sleeves up and give it our best shot – it’s what I am known for, never give up, and we will keep trying; we’ve added a couple of players to the squad to try and make us better and we will keep trying to do that because this Club had a fantastic season last year which was probably unexpected by a lot of people.”

“Some expectations were probably to go and do it again, including mine, and it hasn’t materialised. I know how football works, I have been in it long enough, and we will keep working really hard to try and turn it around.” 

“We’ve had two games recently where we were completely outclassed which is something that we can’t have happen again, whilst the other games have been tight and we haven’t had the finishing part to it.”

“Saturday against Potters Bar we had loads of chances and couldn’t put it in the net and got sucker punched twice, so we have to tighten up a little bit and take one or two more of our chances that we are creating. If we were not creating, I would be worried, but we are and hopefully we can turn them into goals.” 

“Aveley are flying, they have done an amazing job since the manager came in after they were relegated last season. The manager probably has a budget bigger than he has had before and he has done remarkably well.”

“They have some experienced players, players who have won things before; so, it is going to be a really tough game for us, but as I said before, I am not frightened of a challenge, and neither are my players!” 

“We know how tough it’s going to be and the run that they have been on as well, and we will be ready and fighting for everything that we have got to try and get something out of the game.” 

After the weekend, Cray face four of the sides immediately around them in their next games, but McKimm’s focus will not be detracted from Aveley.

“You could say that we could look at those sides we have coming up, but those games will never be any easier than playing the division’s form team, if anything they will be tougher as teams higher up the League sometimes take their eye off the ball and you get half a chance.”

“Teams in and around you know it’s dog eat dog – everyone down there actually plays each other in the next few weeks and it’s just who comes out of that better in the weeks ahead. We will take every game as we do and make sure, we have our best chance of winning or getting something from the game.”