Herne Bay boss Steve Lovell has called for his side to believe in themselves after Saturday’s stunning fight-back to draw 3-3 with Isthmian Southeast leaders Three Bridges as they prepare for a tough looking run of fixtures. 

“It was a funny old game really,” Lovell admitted to KSN. “We started brightly and had a couple of really good opportunities which their keeper did very well with and then they got a goal to be in front at the break and feeling a little bit hard done by really!”

“Second half started exactly the same – we started well but before we knew where we were, we were three-nil down!”

“We were on the attack for the first one and the third one was a long ball from the keeper which missed everyone and fell to their forward who went round our keeper and stuck it in.” 

“Mark (Lovell the Bay assistant manager) and I were standing on the touchline thinking how were we three nil are down!” 

“I still thought we were the better side and creating things – it was just a question of getting back into the game as quickly as possible and that’s what happened.” 

Mike Solako then made it six goals in his last four games for the Bay with an eighteen-minute hat-trick with the first coming within a minute of his side going three-nil down. 

“It needed to be a swift response and it was,” Lovell told us. “It really was a matter of time before we got a goal and it was a good strike from Danny Walder that the keeper parried and Mike stuck his first goal in and then ten minutes later Tom Hanfrey’s put a great cross in for Mike to head his second and the same combination for the third – a great cross in and Mike’s headed the third.”

“From three-nil down, we were now level and looking like we could go on and win the game, and in the last couple of minutes, Mike had another header from a Tom cross which the keeper’s made a really good save to keep out – an unbelievable save to stop us winning the game – a really good game!” 

“Mike took his goals really well and is playing really well at the moment, scoring well and he deserves it.” 

“I told them at half time that they have got to have the belief in themselves as they are a good team. I cannot put that belief in them, I can work on the tactics and get them to do certain things on the field, but they have got to show their own abilities and belief in themselves and the last half hour they certainly did.” 

“We’ve been growing nicely as the weeks have gone on and we’re getting to a point now I think where we want to be and it’s just that consistency and belief now and I think we’ll be fine!” 

“We have drawn our last three but if we can keep picking up points, they are better than defeats – you are not going to win every game, but you do not want to get beaten.”

“We have done really well to pick up the points and it is a long season and if we keep picking up the points, we will stay in amongst it.” 

“I think the next four or five games will allow us to see where we are in the League. I’ve always said that Christmas is always a good point to see where we all are.”

“We have got Littlehampton on Saturday, then away to Sheppey, then Cray Valley, so up until the New Year now we have quite a few tough games and if we come through them picking up a few points and not lose, then I will be happy, but there are some good teams that we will be up against and they’ll be out to try and beat us too.” 

“It’s a hard League with some good teams in the League, but it’s enjoyable.”