Nick Davis believes Sittingbourne are ahead of schedule after another strong pre-season showing.

Summer signing Harry Harding scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 friendly win at Phoenix Sports on Saturday.

Fellow new boy Bagasan Graham and Chris Elliott, a full-back who played under Davis during his previous spell in charge, were also on target.

“I’m really pleased,” said boss Davis.

“We played some good football on Saturday and we’re starting to form partnerships and gel.

“We’re ahead of where we need to be but I keep saying we need to keep our feet on the ground.

“We’ve played three, won three, scored 11, conceded none, which is pleasing, but there’s still lots to work on.

“We’ve got four weeks until the season starts, so we’ve got time to iron bits out, but the fitness levels are looking really good and, to be honest, with the leaders we’ve got in the squad, they’re taking care of business themselves.

“I’m really pleased but it means nothing in pre-season.”

Harding continues to shine since joining from Swale rivals Faversham, the hat-trick taking his tally to five goals in friendlies.

He’ll have a big part to play in Isthmian South East this season.

Davis said: “The difference in the four weeks we’ve been back - he said he’d get his fitness up quickly and he has.

“One of the goals he scored on Saturday was just a half-chance, it was an unbelievable finish. He’s got that ability to score goals.

“James (Collins, ex-Faversham boss) would say he used him all over last season but we’ll certainly look to utilise him as far up the pitch as possible, whether that’s as a No.9 or a No.10, because when he’s in and around the box, he’s deadly.

“He works so hard as well, he covers the ground, he’s just a good player.”

Harding and his Brickies team-mates proved their fitness in the sweltering heat at Phoenix on Saturday.

With several players unavailable, seven of their starting XI played 90 minutes.

“We only had 16 players, so it meant seven doing the 90, which isn’t ideal,” said Davis.

“Pre-season is almost like a season in itself, you need enough numbers to get through it and protect the players, but we didn’t want to have too many trialists.

“We’ve got a tight-knit bunch - 17 players altogether - and our thought process was being a new side, they would need game time to get to know each other.

“The only thing with that is when you get one or two away, it puts a lot on the others to play so many minutes, but it’s the best way to get fit and we’ve not got a game now until Tuesday (Canterbury at home, 7.45pm).”

While Davis has limited the number of trialists, he’s made room for Elliott, following a phone call from the defender.

Elliott was part of a record-breaking run of clean sheets under Davis at the start of the 2017/18 season, and scored from the spot in the win at Phoenix.

“He’s nowhere near fit enough but he’s got ability and he’s such a good lad,” said Davis.

“He contacted me wanting to do pre-season and it has helped us, the fact he can jump in and play.

“I think he’s lost a stone already, and we’ve left the door open for him. You never know.

“It was a no-brainer to let him come in, knowing what a good player he is, and he was part of the back four we had who kept all those clean sheets, seven in a row, I think it was.”