Taking each game as it comes is the oldest managerial cliche in the book but Herne Bay boss Sam Denly is urging his side to do exactly that.

The 2-0 win at Chatham on Tuesday night featured Bay’s first goals since a 1-1 draw at Tooting last month and lifted them back into fourth in the Ryman League, Division 1 South table, two points clear of Ramsgate and Faversham.

Denly said: “We have been in the top-five for a long time and maybe that has put a bit of pressure on the boys.

“I am telling them to forget about the play-offs, take it game-by-game and let everything else take care of itself.

“We want to maintain our position but the one thing we don’t want to do is throw away all the hard work we have put in.”

Danny Walder’s spot-kick in first-half stoppage-time and Dan Parkinson’s late second claimed the points at Chatham.

The win was Bay’s 10th away from home this season – the joint second-best record in the division with play-off rivals Dorking Wanderers – bettered only by leaders Folkestone Invicta (12).

Denly added: “We needed to get going again, created a lot more in the second half but lacked a little bit of quality in the final third. However, the overall performance was better.”
Bay travel to Peacehaven on Saturday, having put seven past them when the teams met at Winch’s Field last month.

The second-bottom East Sussex outfit let in eight at Ramsgate last week, taking their total of goals conceded to 95, equal with Whitstable.

“I’d take a 1-0 win now,” said Denly. Sam Hasler starts a five-match ban following his latest sending-off at Worthing, ruling him out until the Easter Monday home game against Folkestone Invicta.

Parkinson begins a two-match ban after his dismissal in the same game, while Mark Lovell completes his three-match suspension after his red card in the 0-0 home stalemate against Tooting at the beginning of the month.