Herne Bay manager Steve Lovell is looking forward to being back on home ground after a forgettable away day.

Bay meet Isthmian South East play-off rivals Hythe on the Winch’s Field 3G on Saturday (3pm).

Lovell is hoping to see a better game than he did at struggling Erith & Belvedere last weekend where the visitors needed an injury-time equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw.

The Deres thought they’d won it after taking the lead in the 88th minute but Gil Carvalho levelled at the death.

“It was an awful game,” said Lovell, whose side remain fifth.

“It wasn’t good. The pitch there doesn’t help.

“There was no real quality in the game and I felt the last couple of minutes was the best part of the game when they got their goal and we got ours. There wasn’t much in it.

“It was always going to take something for someone to score, whether that be a really good strike or a mistake.

“Harry Brooks felt he could have saved it but it was a good strike.

“When they score that late you think that might be it but the boys kept going and managed to nick a goal right at the end.

“It was a point gained in that respect although it never looked like being anything other than a 0-0 draw.

“We didn’t play well and they didn’t play well. It was just one of those games.

“That’s two draws we’ve had against them with nothing much in the game.

“Against the lower sides we tend not to do as well as we do against the top sides.

“We just couldn’t pass it. We’re a good passing side and I think we’re spoilt by our pitch and the way we can play on it.

“We want to play but on Saturday we just couldn’t and we do seem to struggle on grass at times.

“You’ve got to have a Plan B and we changed our shape in the first half just to try and get the ball up the other end.

“We look to get it down and pass it around and the boys enjoy that.

“If we’re not doing that we’re struggling because we haven’t got those kinds of players, especially up front, the physical players who will help you out if it’s needed.

“But we got through it and it could be an important point come the end of the season.”

Lovell has no injury concerns before facing a Hythe side who are playing catch-up in the play-off battle.

The Cannons are 11 points behind Bay in ninth place but have five games in hand.

Lovell said: “It’s another difficult game.

“Since the new year we’ve had a good run but you’re going to have little spells when you’re not on it.

“It’s a matter of putting it right at training this week and working on a bit of shape and people understanding what their roles and responsibilities are.

“We need to pass it a little bit better and get back to our way of playing.”