by Andrew Gidley

Gary Abbott is hoping this week’s bad weather is not an early warning of a severe winter ahead.

The Sittingbourne boss saw his team’s play-off hopes last season severely hampered by mass postponements, and involvement in the Championship Manager Cup and Kent Senior Cup, where they beat Folkestone in the final.

The midweek trip to Imber Court, to face Ryman League Division 1 South title-chasers Met Police, was called off after a pitch inspection on Wednesday morning, and they are due to travel to nearby Walton Casuals on Saturday.

Abbott (pictured) said: “We lost four or five games in a row last season, and I just hope it doesn’t get any worse this time.”

The squad trained indoors at North West Kent College’s gym at Wilmington on Monday and were hoping to do the same last night.

The Police game was the first of four successive away dates for Bourne, including a trip to bottom club Horsham YMCA, and a repeat of that county cup final at Cheriton Road, a week before Christmas.

Abbott said: “Walton Casuals have improved under Neil Shipperley. We need to win games like that and Horsham if we want to stay in contention.

“We haven’t been putting our chances away lately, and need to kill games off.”

Joe Horlock, nursing a sore back, is Bourne’s only injury worry.