Sam Denly hailed new signing Ben Gorham’s debut as outstanding despite Herne Bay’s unbeaten five-match Ryman League, Division 1 South run ending with a home defeat to Hythe Town on Tuesday night.

The central defender moved from former groundsharers Canterbury City and was named man-of-the-match after impressing in his first 90 minutes in a Bay shirt, despite the 2-0 defeat.

Boss Denly said: “Ben was outstanding and looked comfortable and assured. He is a good signing – big and strong, good in the air and enjoys the ball at his feet which is the way we like to play.

"I am not going to judge him on one game, though but the early signs are good.”

Denly refused to point the finger at goalkeeper Jack Delo but admitted: “We should have got something out of the game.

“They were both scrappy goals, he knows he could have done better but Jack has been outstanding for us this season, so there is no problem. Hythe didn’t really threaten us until we were pushing at the end.”

The defeat followed the 1-1 home draw against Walton Casuals on Saturday but again Denly thought his team deserved more out of it.

He said: “I saw it as two points dropped. We should have got all three.
“We are looking a good, strong side and it will be interesting to see how we bounce back.”

Bay travel to Corinthian Casuals on Saturday, before a swift reunion with Sittingbourne next Tuesday (7.45pm), having beaten them 3-0 at home when the teams met a couple of weeks ago.

Joe Nelder (work commitments) and Chris Elliott (ill) return to the squad after missing the Hythe game, while Danny Walder should be fit, despite nursing a tight hamstring.

Denly, pleased to sign Gorham, isn’t ruling out adding to the squad.
He said: “Ben is the first in the process but I would still like to bring in one more.”