The return of versatile Daniel Carrington is a timely boost in Faversham’s increasingly desperate fight to avoid relegation.

Carrington started in midfield on Monday in the Lilywhites’ Isthmian South East 1-0 home loss to Hythe.

It was a 181st Town appearance overall for the 26-year-old - who helped them to the play-off final in the 2015/16 season in a successful first spell - but this term, injury has restricted him to only five starts. The last of those had previously been on October 1.

Assistant manager Darren Beale hopes Carrington, who can also play in defence and was last season part of Herne Bay’s promotion-winning squad, will have more luck on the fitness front in 2023.

He said: “I worked with him at Herne Bay so I know Dan. He’s someone that we can trust.

“I think the biggest problem for Dan is getting a run of games and staying injury-free.

“Hopefully he can turn that corner and we can then gradually give him some more minutes and he can become a permanent fixture in the first-team.”

He came through more than 80 minutes against the Cannons before he was replaced by full-back Matt Parsons.

Faversham’s defeat leaves them on just eight points from 19 league fixtures, now five points adrift of second-bottom Corinthian - who beat Sittingbourne on Monday 3-0, with the Brickies having since parted company with boss Nick Davis - and 14 points from total safety.

The side are yet to show real signs of improvement on the pitch since boss Sammy Moore took charge. They have only collected one point from three matches and scored a single goal, too, despite the firepower they have within their ranks.

But there was a debut for on-loan Sittingbourne winger Alex Addai against Hythe while legendary centre-half Matt Bourne was back in the starting line-up after he scored for Phoenix Sports in a Boxing Day win as part of a dual-registration agreement.

Town visit Littlehampton, who lost 1-0 at Lancing last time out, this Saturday.

Faversham lost 3-2 to the Sussex club in their first home league match this campaign.