Steve McKimm has backed Tonbridge youngsters to keep their feet on their ground.

Eighteen-year-old defender Liam Smith scored his first senior goal, adding to Joe Turner’s opener, as Angels beat Met Police 2-0 on Saturday.

That was their third Bostik Premier win in a row - their best run all season.

McKimm is confident Smith and fellow young players Tashi-Jay Kwayie, Callum Taylor and Jack Fenton won’t get ahead of themselves.

He said: “We’ve got a group of lads who will keep them grounded, they’ve got parents who will keep them grounded and the boys have got the mentality to keep themselves grounded and not think they’re the bees’ knees just because they’ve played a few games.

“They’ll get better and the experience of playing will make them better but it’s my job to make sure they play the right amount of games.

“Young players can end up playing too much and then they make mistakes and it knocks their confidence.

“Liam’s an old head on young shoulders. He’s been in, he’s come out and bided his time and I’m pleased for him to get his goal.

“Callum Taylor’s come back from three months out on loan and he’s learned a lot in that time and Tashi’s in the team because he deserves to be, not because we’ve had the budget cut.

“Jack Fenton is another one who’s been away and come back and got his head down and got minutes he may not have got elsewhere.

“All we say to any player, young or old, is earn your right to play, and you do that through your attitude, your desire and your work rate.”

The win over Met Police was particularly welcome after a poor performance against them in the away game last month.

It was Angels’ first game since a budget cut saw three players released but there was no moping around.

McKimm said: “I’m ever so pleased for the players and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

“I told them on Saturday the hardest thing to do as a manager is to get rid of players, especially when it’s out of your hands and has to be done.

“But we have to get on with it and the only thing I wrote on the board was ‘no excuses’.

“You play with the hand you’re dealt and I thought the players responded magnificently.

“Seven or eight were majorly off form when we went to Met Police but they made amends for that abysmal performance.”

Tonbridge, who remain 11th, go to third-placed Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday.