Gravesend & Northfleet v Tamworth

NEW Gravesend & Northfleet manager Liam Daish has been taking his first training sessions this week in preparation for his first home game in charge at Stonebridge Road.

He was hoping the two sessions would help him get to know the players better ahead of the Nationwide Conference clash against Tamworth on Saturday.

But Daish, who is set to sign a contract tying him to the club for the rest of this season and next, promised he would not be giving the squad too much to take on board too early in his reign.

He said: "I won't flood the players heads with too much information because they can only take in so much."

He will be looking for a repeat of the commitment shown against Carlisle last Saturday at the weekend.

It was Carlisle’s first home match for almost six weeks after their Brunton Park ground was badly damaged by the floods that hit the city last month. But their homecoming went flat thanks to the Fleet's stirring recovery in the second half.

Daish was full of praise for the club’s board for helping with the preparation ahead of the team’s longest away day.

He said: "We could not have prepared any better. Anything I wanted or needed has been there.

"The players responded with a tireless performance and I think we looked the more likely to sneak a winner."

Daish will hope the second half performance will be carried into Saturday’s match.

It promises to be an even contest. The sides are level on points in the league, although the visitors have a game in hand on 15th-placed Fleet.

Meanwhile, Daish’s long-standing friend Mick Catlin, who worked with him at Havant & Waterlooville, is likely to join as part of Fleet’s back-room staff, though not as assistant manager.

Daish will appoint his number two in due course.