Well it’s not been a bad couple of weeks for our club. Winning 6 on the bounce, only losing 1 cup game in 13 games and playing some good football along the way. Since the draw away at Bracknell, when we were down to bare bones, we have seemed to turned a corner mentally. I always said that technically we have a very good side but it is just sometimes what goes on in between the ears that is the worry. On the run of winning 6 on the bounce we have had to have a bit of everything. The doggedness of beating Ascot away, the pure quality of football to beat a Southern League side in Marlow and to beat Broadbridge in the Vase. But one of the most pleasing was to beat Highmoor away in very difficult conditions. As a manager you always like to think you have cracked it but in football you never will, so we need to improve even more if we want to keep this run going.

Saturday's game is without doubt going to be one of the hardest tests of the season so far. The FA Vase is the best cup competition that step 5 clubs and below enter, and to get to the last 64 is a good achievement. Now there are no so-called weak sides left in it. Sevenoaks are a mightily impressive side that have only lost 1 league game this season and are currently top of the Southern Counties East Football League. Only conceding 8 goals and scoring 27 in the process just shows you how good they are. I went to watch their recent cup game against Tonbridge Wells and, even though they rested 4 or 5 regulars, I was very impressed with the way they played. They have pace to burn out wide with Harrison Carnegie, ex-pro Tom Youngs and probably the quickest player I’ve seen in Rory Hill who was previously with Maidstone United and Ashford United. Up front they have Byron Walker who has scored goals for fun this season and their skipper Corey Holder is a tall, powerful, commanding centre half. They are just a few players that I have mentioned but they really do not have a weak link to speak of, so it’s all down to us to impose ourselves on the game.

Our squad is being tested to the limit and Saturday will be no exception. Ash James, Lamin Sankoh, Anthony White and Joe Blount are all still out injured. Liam Ferdinand and Dan Rapley are cup tied and there will be tests during the week for Lewis Brownhill and Ross Cook. Apart from that we have everyone available!

I also would like to go on record and say a massive thank you to all our supporters that have been terrific lately and also the overwhelming support of Eric, Sylvia, Brocky, Stuart and the rest of the committee over the past couple of weeks. The players, my staff and I really do appreciate it all!