Herne Bay go into the weekend buoyed by midweek progress in the FA Cup, but boss Steve Lovell was in a cautious mood when KSN caught up with him ahead of anniversary of a Bank Holiday weekend that he will never forget from 1987!
Goals from Gil Carvalho, Kane Rowland and Dan Carrington eased the Bay to their first competitive win under the Welshman setting them up for a busy Bank Holiday weekend.
On Saturday they travel to East Grinstead Town before welcoming former boss Ben Smith and his much fancied (and Lovell’s former side) Ramsgate side to Winches Field and whilst Monday is probably the bigger game for the fans, the Bay boss is completely focused on the trip to East Grinstead.
“We’d drawn our first two games and the win in midweek is a boost for us. We’re weren’t lacking in confidence after drawing the first League game and the cup game. This League is so up and down as everyone knows, anyone can beat anyone else as we know and it’s all down to what you do on the day.”
“We’ve got to go to Sussex and approach it the same way and with two games in three days it’s going to be important that we play and pick the teams, which could be completely different , for the two games.”
“East Grinstead is never an easy place to go, they’ve had an indifferent start, but they are a decent Football Club. I remember last year with Ramsgate they were decent, but we did win 3-1, any team can be difficult for you if you don’t approach it rightly and don’t do the right things yourself.”
“Monday will be just another game. Ben’s coming back, I’ve been to Ramsgate, quite a few players have been at both club’s; I know that the supporters are looking to enjoy it and look forward to it, but it is another game, three points like anything.
“I just want to get Saturday out of the way and we come through unscathed and then we’ll see what team we pick on Monday. You’ve got to take one game at a time, we’re not like the Premier League where we’ve got thirty or forty players to choose from, we’ve a small squad and we’ll have to see where we are before the weekend.”
“I think we’ll have another good crowd on Monday, which of course helps the Club. The supporters are brilliant and are working hard behind the scenes to make the Club stable and I believe that they’re doing that so it’s a nice place to be. We’ve got to respect that and work hard on the football field not to let them down!”
And that anniversary that the Bay boss will never forget? On the Saturday of the August Bank Holiday weekend in 1987, Lovell was playing in Gillingham blue as Southend United visited Priestfield for a Division Three game (todays League One).
What happened that afternoon will live with all those who saw it or were involved as inspired by a FOUR GOAL Lovell, the Gills won 8-1! How could that be bettered, we only had a week to wait as Chesterfield visited Priestfield and were beaten 10-0!!!