There have been some spectacular long-range screamers this season but many of Herne Bay’s goals have come from marauding wing play, whether from mid-field or from the wing back position.

Alex Mulrooney-Skinner’s appearances were cut short last term through injury, but who could forget the way that he ripped the Hastings defence apart last season and was the main protagonist in turning a 0-2 deficit after 17 minutes into a 4-2 victory. Mulrooney-Skinner started at the outset of Soccer Elite Academy at Senacre School and then Oldborough Manor. He was scouted by Charlton Athletic into their Development Squad and then onto Millwall, Mulrooney-Skinner was spotted by Republic of Ireland scouts on a Millwall tour and invited to play a friendly with the national squad in Ireland. He represented the Republic of Ireland at Under 17 level in the European Championships in 2013. On leaving Millwall he joined Leatherhead but after finding limited first team opportunities at the Tanners he moved to Hythe Town in September 2016, after the two sides had met in the FA Cup, and then onto East Grinstead Town in January 2017, before re-joining Hythe on transfer deadline day. This season, whilst not totally clear of his injury he has continued to wreak havoc amongst the opposition full-backs. Alex has made 42 appearances for Bay (25+4 league and 11+2 cup) and has scored five times.

Danny Leonard has superb ball control and his trickery often mystifies the opposition’s defence. He came through the Gillingham Academy, spent time with East Grinstead Town and joined Sittingbourne in August 2016. Leonard moved to Hastings United just before the transfer deadline in 2017 and played for the Arrows in their Ryman South play-off semi-final defeat at Dorking Wanderers. Danny made his 50th league appearance in the last match at Greenwich Borough (44+6) and has also appeared 11+2 times in cup games, giving him a total of 63. Leonard is also often in the right place to find the net and has done so seven times.

Raphe Brown missed three months of the last campaign through injury and is now just one match short of his half century of appearances for Herne Bay (30+7 league, 12 cup). Surely his first goal for the club is not far away. He is another who played for Bearsted in the Kent Youth League up to Under 18s level before moving to Sittingbourne in 2015/16 for his second year at that age group and winning the Kent League Premier Division South the following season, as well as being part of the Sittingbourne Development squad who finished as runners-up in the Isthmian Development League South and appeared for the first team in the Isthmian League Division One South. He was Sittingbourne U18/21s Supporters’ Player of the Season for 2016/17.

Simon Kabama is another of Jermaine and John’s protégés playing for Sittingbourne’s Under 18s and Under 21s. He was a regular for Herne Bay Reserves last season in the Kent County Football League Division One Central & East before making his first team debut last March as a substitute at home to Whyteleafe. Two days later he was in the starting line-up at Walton Casuals and has been in and around the first team squad ever since. His 31 appearances have included 17+6 league and 6+2 cup.

With seven Herne Bay FC Supporters’ Association Man of the Match awards between them one thing is sure…they will continue to terrorise the opposition’s defenders and contribute with some goals of their own.