Hythe Town go into Saturday’s Isuzu FA Trophy tie at home to Whitehawk keen to put right what happened the last time the two sides met back in May… 

It was in the Final of the Isthmian South East Play Offs and it was the Sussex side who prevailed on the night leaving the Cannons crestfallen, but they go into this weekend’s tie in the last sixty-four of the Trophy looking to extend an amazing run at their Reachfields home, and we’ve been talking to the Hythe boss Steve Watt about the weekend ahead… 

“I think it’s the biggest game that the Club has had ironically since the last time we played them!” the Hythe boss joked.

“It is funny how things turn out in football how after the Play Off Final last season, the next biggest game is against them again!”

“We’re really looking forward to it and if we can get through – and we know it’s going to be a really tough ask – if we can go through I think to get through to the last thirty-two of this Competition is an unbelievable achievement for the Football Club and the players for the “small” Club that we are and the resources that we have.”

“It will be incredible to get to the last thirty-two and hopefully get, if you like, a nice “dream tie” and get one of the big boys from the National League.”

“We really are looking forward to it and we know the task we are facing, and it is going to be a very tough one indeed!” 

“I have been asked if “revenge” will be mentioned many times since the draw was made and I don’t see it as revenge if I am honest,” Watt admitted.

“If we had outplayed them in the Final and then something happened where we deserved to go up and they didn’t, then maybe I would be looking for revenge, but on the night, they were the better team and deserved it!” 

“It’s more probably the players in my dressing room who were part of that last year – because if I’m honest it was a game too far for us as you saw on the night that we’d played our “Final” the previous Tuesday at Ramsgate and I just think that the players didn’t have enough left in them considering the run we’d been on just to get to the Play Offs, to do enough to win one more game.”

“I think a few of them think they have a point to prove because they were not at one hundred percent, so I am sure that there will be some who want to “go the extra mile!”

“But regardless of who they were playing in this round of the Trophy, you would want to do that anyway because of what is at stake!” 

“There’s been a lot of changes – particularly on their side – in terms of the squads, so it is not as if we are going up against the same players. Different game, different challenges and one we are very much looking forward to.” 

It is almost a year since Hythe last tasted a League defeat at their Reachfields home – a point that Watt hopes continues this weekend; “I don’t think anyone enjoys coming here,” he said.

“We have an incredible record at home and whilst a lot of people will put it down to the pitch as a lot of people moan about it, but at the end of the day the pitch is the same for both teams.”

“We have very good footballers who may want to play on a perfect pitch, but we are unfortunate that we do not have the resources that a lot of clubs have to maintain the pitch up to an incredible standard, so we have to do the best we can!”

“The club volunteers do a great job to get the pitch playable and in the best situation it can be in.”

“Of course, we are very proud of the record we have got at Reachfields as only Hamworth Villa have beaten us here in the Cup since Boxing Day last year. That run will end – just hope it is not on Saturday!” 

“It’s a big game, it’s a tough game, but I’m glad we’re at home!” 

Hythe go into the tie without suspended striker Johan Caney-Bryan who serves a one match ban following his red card at Sittingbourne recently and Watt conceded that he will be a big miss.

“It’s a big blow!” he admitted. “Since he has come to the Club, he’s been unbelievable for me. He’s in double figures already this season for us – he did the same last year, but was unfortunate with injuries; I think at one stage before Christmas he was top League scorer.”

“He then picked up an injury and tried to play with it for the rest of the season and was never quite himself. He possibly needed surgery on it, but kept playing for the team and he will be a big miss for us on Saturday.” 

“I’m confident that within the squad we’ve got and the players we’ve got, we’ll be able to cope without him, but there’s no hiding that it will be a big miss and what we do…”