Rival clubs are trying to tempt players away from Herne Bay by offering them more money.

Joint-managers John Embery and Jermaine Darlington have managed to keep their squad together so far but they expect more cash to be flashed in the coming weeks.

Bay look like they could mount a play-off challenge in Bostik South but these distractions aren’t helping.

Embery said: “We’ve had big money offers come in recently for a few of the players but they’ve all rejected the other clubs.

“What makes me angry is that these clubs are not bothered about developing their own players, they see you doing well with a young lad and they want to nick them. It’s aggravating.

“The way some of these clubs are operating at the moment is outrageous because they don’t worry about their reserves. Some of them haven’t even got reserves.

“All they’re worrying about is buying players in, letting everyone else do the hard work and nicking them, which is the wrong way of running a club.”

Herne Bay are 12th having won seven and lost seven so far.

Embery said “The players have made a decision, purely on a football basis, not to chase the money. Money will come to them if they keep working hard and they’ll get better moves.

“The club has been astonished by the amount of interest. It’s been weekly but the players have rebuffed it which says something for their loyalty to us and how they’re working as a group."