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Dartford FC academy graduate Alfie Cue to get first-team chance

Dartford's new management team are prepared to give Alfie Cue another go at first-team level.

Academy graduate Cue made a few appearances at the start of last season but spent much of the campaign playing in Southern Counties East.

However, he's a player joint-bosses Adam Flanagan and Jamie Coyle want to use in National League South.

Alfie Cue Picture: Andy Payton
Alfie Cue Picture: Andy Payton

Flanagan said: "We’ve been impressed with Alfie Cue. He’s done well in the games so far.

"Watching him in training, technically he’s a very good footballer, he’s got very good feet and he uses the ball quite well.

"He’s a little bit of an unknown to us - some players have told us he plays up front or can play wide - so we’re just looking to utilise him as best we can to see where he can fit into the team.

"He played centre-midfield against Millwall and I thought, in the first half, he was one of our better players.

"On Monday night he played on the wing, got himself a goal and again put a very assured performance in. Alfie’s doing really well at the moment."

Dartford lost 5-0 at home to Millwall on Saturday before winning 6-0 at Aveley on Monday night.

Delano Sam-Yorke and Kudus Oyenuga both scored twice and there were also goals for Cue and Richard Sho-Silva.

"The Millwall game was always going to be difficult," Flanagan said. "They just missed out on the (Championship) play-offs last year and these are people earning thousands of pounds a week.

Trialist Manny Igahore in action for Dartford against Millwall Picture: Andy Jones
Trialist Manny Igahore in action for Dartford against Millwall Picture: Andy Jones

"You always need to get something out of the game. When we’re losing 5-0, we’re looking at characters. Do people go quiet when the game’s not going the way we would like?

"On Monday we set different challenges and that was the reverse of Saturday."

Several trialists are hoping to earn a deal including defender Billy Roast and winger Manny Igahore.

Roast, who played under Flanagan at Concord last season, can also play in midfield and is set to feature again at Sevenoaks on Saturday (3pm).

Flanagan said: "We have to be fair to these players. I’m not a big believer in keeping players around for a long time during pre-season because you need to give them ample opportunity to find clubs elsewhere.

"They’ll probably play on Saturday and after that we’ll look to cut the squad down a little bit.

"It’s difficult in non-league, with the time you have, to get your footballing philosophy across but that’s what we’re working on."

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