Smith ready to sit it out

Manager Ben Smith isn’t convinced Herne Bay’s scheduled trip to East Grinstead will go ahead this weekend.

With their derby against Ramsgate postponed on Tuesday due to the ongoing fuel crisis, Bay trained in midweek instead - but Smith thinks it may take time before the fuel situation improves.

He said: “I cannot see Saturday going ahead. I don’t think, suddenly, there is going to be all these lorry drivers available if I’m reading the situation correctly.

“We saw, with the toilet roll shortage, how long it took for people to stop panic-buying. It has a knock-on effect.

“I think the people that have not been going (to the petrol station) will have to go now.

“When they are there, they will think ‘I’m definitely going to fill up.’ I think it’s going to go on for a while yet.

“But I’m no expert. But it’s frustrating for us because we already had last Saturday without a match and ended up having Tuesday without a game as well.”

Should the Isthmian South East encounter go ahead, though, it will be a first visit to East Grinstead for Smith. He is looking forward to the potential trip, saying: “That’s why we don’t play local league football. We want to test ourselves and visit new areas and new grounds.

“Is East Grinstead the best ground any of us are going to visit in our lives? Absolutely not.

“But it’s a new ground to go and visit which is always a nice thing.

“They are an unpredictable side. You never know what you are going to get with them. They have a good winger called Marco Sousapina.

“Already this season, I believe they have used 32 players! How can you plan for that? “We will be planning for ourselves and how we want to influence them.” Versatile Bola Dawodu, who has been sidelined with a hand injury, is nearing a return and has been training with the squad who are third in the league.

“Bola is now a week-and-a-half away from getting signed off by the doctor.

“He needs to be signed off by a hand specialist,” Smith said. “He is someone I will be delighted to have back with us.

“It’s a welcome boost. We are not desperate for him back but he offers something very different to our squad.”