John Embery admits he is excited at the prospect of pairing his son Jake with Herne Bay’s new signing Andrew Dalhouse.

The powerhouse striker – who was at Ashford last season – moved to Winch’s Field from Haywards Heath last week and came straight in for his debut during Saturday’s controversial 2-1 home defeat to Sevenoaks.

Embery junior was missing due to a bout of tonsillitis but there is every chance the pair will start at Greenwich on Saturday in what Jake’s dad described as an ‘old school’ partnership.

Dalhouse’s arrival followed the departures of recent loan acquisitions, Ronald Sobowale, who is about to sign contract forms with Barnsley, and Nathan Wood, who has been offered a trial by Charlton Athletic.

The Bay joint boss explained; “Andrew’s a player we like, we’ve played against him a few times and he’s always proved a difficult opponent.

“People think because he’s a big lad you just lump the ball up to him, but he’s much better than that.

“He’s very good on the deck, excellent with his back to goal and links the play extremely well.

“In some ways we’ve gone a bit old school, with a big, experienced forward who can hold the ball up, and a young runner who plays on the shoulder and can get in behind.

“They’re different characters but I think they’ll be a good partnership because they’ll complement each other.”

In the absence of top scorer Embery, Dalhouse took – and missed a penalty – against Sevenoaks, a game Bay led until the final six minutes.

The Sevenoaks winner came from a 95th minute penalty, converted by Frankie Sawyer and Embery said Bay definitely felt they had been robbed.

He said: “The penalty decision was outrageous, the guy tripped over his own feet and if you’d have seen it on television you would have laughed.

“None of their players even appealed.

“They celebrated at the end like they’d won the FA Cup but they only had two shots in the second half, their equaliser and the penalty which was virtually the last kick.

“It was disappointing but in some respects we only had ourselves to blame because we missed so many chances.”

Victory on Saturday would have lifted Bay out of the bottom two in Bostik South East and they have another chance to do so at Greenwich, who will start the day just two places and two points above them.

Embery admits getting off the foot of the table would give his players a psychological lift, especially as they don’t play again until hosting Hastings on Saturday, January 26.

He added: “The good thing about Saturday was that we played really well.

“We didn’t take our chances but there wasn’t too much else wrong.

“We said to the players you don’t always get out what you put in but if you play like that, then nine times out of 10 you will get the right result.

“We’d like to get off the bottom and we’re confident we will because we know we’re playing well. The teams above us are the ones who should be worried because they must be thinking how close they are to the bottom now.”

Midfielder Connor Wilkins, who has been outstanding as a makeshift centre-half, picked up an ankle injury against Sevenoaks, so Bay have signed 19-year-old defender Callum Adonis-Taylor from Tonbridge on a month’s loan.

The youngster may not be the last new arrival at Winch’s either with Embery admitting he is trying to get a deal for another defender across the line before the weekend.

Danny Rumbol faces a couple of weeks out due to personal reasons.