Several key players have already committed themselves to Hythe Town for next season.

Ollie Rowe and Tom Carlton are signed up for the 2019/20 campaign while deals have been agreed with three other players.

This season ended in a disappointing seventh in Bostik South East but manager Sam Denly is determined to challenge for promotion next season.

He said: “There will be a few go and a few come in. There’s always a bit of change at this level of football but I don’t want it to be a mass exodus and we’ve got five or six contracted anyway.

“The core group of players will remain and we’ll get those contracts tidied up this week.

“Ollie Rowe’s done, Tom Carlton’s done and three others are getting done so I’ve got a good core there.

“It’s about trying to keep that and adding around it. If we can do that, we’ve got a chance of getting better together. The process started a few weeks ago. I’m speaking to my current players first and then speaking with players outside the club, trying to get the right lads.

“We’ll make sure we’ve got things in place like training facilities and the little added extra bits. We want to get the devices in that can monitor the lads’ work-rate.

“I’m meeting my management team this week and we’ll discuss plans and pre-season.

“An awful lot of work goes into preparation, making sure the players have got no excuses for not performing. That’s something I’m really going to be focusing on this pre-season.”

Hythe only took 1.44 points per game this season compared to 1.89 points per game in 2017/18, when they only missed out on the play-offs on goal difference.

Denly said: “Everyone tipped us to be in the top five. It’s a season we can look back on and have a few ‘what ifs’ but we haven’t been good enough.

“You’re always learning in management and this year I’ve certainly learned an awful lot about how to manage certain situations and getting the right balance. We finished seventh and people can look at that as a disappointing season but we could have been a lot worse.

“We’re a new team and it’s about getting the right balance of players, management, everything. That’s down to me and we’ll look to make strides moving forward.”

Denly added: “The fans have been brilliant. Every week at home, they’ve been outstanding.

“There’s a lot of good people at Hythe doing a lot of good things, trying to move the club forward, backed by a great board and a great set of supporters so hopefully we can all keep working hard together and be successful.”