Lambert eager to make an impact

John Lambert believes his Sidley United team is capable of threatening the top six.

The Blues will kick-off their 2011/12 Sussex County Football League Division One campaign with a trip to Three Bridges on Saturday.

Sidley manager Lambert said: “I think we can finish top six, top eight to top six and with a bit of luck we might go better. I’m hoping with what we’ve got we can win something.”

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Lambert’s charges consolidated their promotion from Division Two in 2009/10 with a creditable 13th place finish in Division One last term, although only the bottom two teams scored fewer league goals.

Sidley have moved to address that shortage in firepower over the summer by signing Little Common strikers Lewis Hole and Steve Morris, and Scott McDonald, who was Bexhill United’s captain and 22-goal leading scorer last season.

Pre-season form has been pretty good with four wins and a draw from their five friendlies. Sidley rounded-off their warm-up matches with a 2-0 win over Seaford Town last weekend thanks to goals from Hole and Morris.

But it came at a cost because Harry Killick twisted his ankle in the first half and looks likely to miss the Bridges game. And with Gavin Bourne about to start a three-match ban, Lambert is facing a goalkeeping crisis.

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Chris Rea is suspended for the first two games and Marc Munday is banned tomorrow, but will be available for the game away to Crowborough Athletic on Tuesday night. Milton Miltiadou is attending his sister’s wedding.

Sidley have lost a number of fringe and reserve team players to Bexhill United over the summer, but what many will regard as the biggest blow is the departure of powerful midfielder Sean Kelly to Rye United.

The full article will appear in Friday’s Bexhill Observer.