Steve McKimm takes his Cray Valley PM side to Billericay Town this weekend in the Isthmian Premier’s “game of the day” as fourth hosts second in the ridiculously tight battle at the top of the division.
Jake LeBerl’s Dover Athletic side went top on Tuesday with a point from a draw with Lewes with 56 points from 28 games; Valley are second a point behind with a game in hand; Ady Pennock’s Dartford are next a further point behind Valley, but with a game in hand on Dover after last weekend’s 4-0 drubbing of Billericay (who slipped from top to fourth as a result) and have the same number of points as the Darts, but have played the same number of games as the leaders.
“We’re doing all right so far, but there is still three months to go, a third of the season left,” McKimm told us when we caught up with him this week.
“There are still lots of points to play for, lots of teams involved in a battle for top five. But we are in a good place and cannot argue about it, can’t argue at the fact that we have worked hard to get where we are and we will continue to do so!”
“In this League everyone can beat everyone and it is really good to be a part of pitting your wits against people.”
“To be in second place comes from hard work from the staff, hard work from the players and consistency. Regardless of whether you have just come up like we have, or you have been there for five or six years, if you have a good run and you are consistent in everything you do – which we are – then you will get the rewards from it!”
“You look at the League below, Ramsgate are as consistent as they were last year, Sittingbourne are even more consistent that they were last year, and that’s why the two of them are running away with that division.”
“We have been consistent all last year and this moment in time we are consistent again and we deserve to be where we are because we as a staff are working hard and so are the players.”
Valley travel to the New Lodge this weekend with one defeat in three months – a 5-1 home drubbing by Hashtag in early January – a run that McKimm said, “It’s the players mentality that they want to go and win games and the staff’s mentality that we’re not going out “just” to draw a game.”
“So, we will go to Billericay this weekend, we’re not going to be sitting behind the ball hoping for a point, we won’t sit behind the ball because of who they’ve got and just hoping that we get a lucky break, we have a good enough squad and good enough players to go there and compete in my opinion, and I can say that as I am manager of the Football Club!”
“If we don’t get a result that we want, it won’t be the end of the World and it won’t be a defining moment in the season because it is so close in the top four/five as sixth place (currently Chichester City) are eleven points behind.”
“We won’t be counting our chickens, but the game Saturday will not determine whether we win the League, lose the League, get in the Play Offs or miss the Play Offs – it’s another game with three months to go and a lot of football to play!”