Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Debut worth waiting for
Canterbury
Manager Ben Smith is excited about the prospect of seeing Gibraltar international Mikey Yome in action for the first time in Canterbury City’s home Southern Counties East League, Premier Division game against Corinthian on Saturday. The 23-year winger, a trainee teacher studying at Christ Church University, was ineligible for last night’s (Wednesday) delayed FA Vase second qualifying round tie against Southern Combination League side Peacehaven. His international clearance was received too late to beat last Friday’s deadline allowing him to play. Peacehaven beat Worthing United 2- 0 on Saturday, after the Football Association ordered the tie to be replayed last weekend, having been abandoned on September 10 due to crowd trouble. City will lose Yome again next week with the winger being selected in Gibraltar’s 26-man squad for two World Cup qualifiers, in Estonia on Friday week and at home to Belgium the following Monday. Former City defender Jamie Bosio – instrumental in City signing Yome –and Dartford goalkeeper Deren Ibrahim have also been included by head coach, former Charlton No.1 Jeff Wood. Smith said: “Jamie’s professionalism was fantastic when he was with us and Mikey is the same. “He is a winger with bags of pace, will bring a lot of skills to the team and is an unpredictable player who will keep full-backs guessing.” City’s other new signing, defender Laurence Harvey, also missed the Vase tie but is set make his belated debut at the weekend, more than two weeks after signing. The delay has been due to illness and lack of games. Last night’s (Wednesday) Vase winners will face Hellenic League Lydney Town at home in the first round proper on October 26. A possible replay against Peacehaven has been scheduled for Tuesday. City were due to face Rochester in the SCEL the following evening.