Latest News From Jude Macdonald

Saturday’s 3-2 win in Kent lifted Town to 12th and they’re closer in points to the play-off places than the relegation zone.

Nathan Hover cancelled out the Gate’s opener then Billie Clark put them ahead and after the hosts levelled it up at 2-2 10 minutes into the second half, Alfie Rogers struck to restore a lead they held on to.

Macdonald said: “It’s a result we were all really pleased to get and one we genuinely felt we deserved on the day. They’re a massive club at Isthmian level and they have some real quality so to be able to win at a place where we were humbled last season is particularly pleasing.

“We do a lot of homework as staff on how we can get three points – some comes off, some doesn’t – but we really felt like the players took on board what we gave them and with that commitment, they gave themselves a platform to add the extra bit of quality that our second and third goals showed.

“In terms of ranking it, you’d have to say it is right up there with our win at Faversham this season and our win at Merstham last season.”

Town have now have won and drawn two of their past six and Macdonald said his players were coping well at present with all the challenges put in front of them.

“When we lost five in a row through November and December, you could feel a lack of confidence within the side and that is always something which changes when you start getting results,” he told us.

“We knew it was going to be a struggle to contain Deal (who they beat 3-2 at home last week) and Margate with the quality they have in forward areas, but we also knew tthey would give up chances, so the players knew they would always be in the game if they were smart and if they were bought in.

“Although they flashed a chance right across our goalline late on, we missed a penalty in the 89th minute and had had another gilt-edged chance to score on the counter at 3-2… as well as hitting the bar on another occasion, so it’s not like it was a real smash-and-grab victory.

“It’s always nervy holding on against a good side, but we felt we deserved it.”

Recent results are bound to give the men from the Saffons confidence for the next batch of games. Next up they host Erith Town on Saturday.

“Whenever you are picking up results then players feel great and want the next game to come as quickly as possible,” Macdonald said.

“But we are not blind to how well we have to play in every game to get three points. Erith have a new management team and picked up huge wins against VCD and Faversham (away) before they lost to Croydon last Saturday – we know that if we are anything less than 100% then we have no chance because they will be at us from the first minute.

“We have a run in February and March of some really tough opponents so momentum is huge and the boys proving to themselves that they can get results like Saturday’s is going to be enormous for belief within the group.”

Macdonald said player availability continued to be a challenge.

“We had 12 fully fit senior players on Saturday, with us having to include two players in Saturday’s squad who had only done one training session each back from injury,” he said.

“Billie Clark’s deal is still running and so we hope to have him with us for Saturday. Ian Robinson has returned to light training, but is still not near returning.

“JJ Walker is suspended for two more games, but we are hoping to have Sonny Walsh (knee) back on Saturday.

“Jaydon Fuller (away), Alfie Simmons (wrist) and Oliver Davies (ankle) are all out. Harvey Greig (knee) and Eliot Jenks (hamstring) were just about able to be included on Saturday so we hope that they can be involved again this weekend.”

Written by: Steve Bone (Sussex World)