Whilst Jake Embery is taking all of the goalscoring accolades there are those around him who make significant contributions. In terms of performance and appearances Tom Carlton and Bradley Schafer are two such players. Both joined Herne Bay, along with Embery, in the summer of 2017.

Carlton had played for Chelsea at Under 16 level before joining West Ham United but was released by the Hammers in April 2015. He spent some time on trial at Reading, unfortunately it didn't work out, and after performing well playing for Dover U19s he was quickly snapped up by Colchester United who offered him one-year professional contract. He appeared for the U’s first team during their 2016 pre-season campaign and was a regular in the Under 18s. His contract was not renewed, but Colchester’s loss was Herne Bay’s gain.

In his first season at Winch’s Field, Carlton missed just one match (Ashford United in the Kent Senior Cup) and appeared in every league game making 45 starts and one substitute appearance, scoring seven goals. With his 6+1 appearances in the cup, with two goals, he was the joint top appearance maker (along with Bradley Schafer) for Bay during 2017/18.

Tom gained the most Herne Bay FC Supporters’ Association Man of the Match awards (5) and along with Jake Embery was Joint Players’ Player of the Season.

This campaign Carlton has surpassed his previous achievements being ever-present in both league (20) and cup (9), all as a starter, and netting four times in each. He leads the Man of the Match table with four awards and has won the Goal of the Month for four of the five months so far.

Whilst Sir Matt Busby had his ‘babes’, so do Jermaine Darlington and John Embery, and one of those is Bradley Schafer. He was part of the successful Bearsted Under 18’s who won the Kent Youth League Under 18 South in 2014/15 before moving to Sittingbourne. Won the Kent FA Under 18 Youth Cup, beating Dover Athletic 4-2, the Kent Youth League Under 18 Premier Division South and runners-up in the Isthmian League Development South in 2016/17. Bradley often does not get the recognition that he deserves.

He always gives 100% commitment as he quietly goes about his business in midfield. In 2017/18 he also missed just one cup match (Margate in the Kent Senior Cup) and started 40 league games and came off the bench six times. One league and two cup goals were scored along the way. His goals are normally spectacular. He was the Development Player of the Season.

Bradley has skippered the side on several occasions this campaign and has missed just two league matches (through suspension – but what else would you expect from a combative midfielder) and played in all nine cup games (eight starts and one as a substitute). Five league and two cup goals have seen him easily surpass last season’s tally and along with the eye-catching strike he is adept at ghosting in behind the defence and heading home.

Embery, Carlton and Schafer – just three reasons that will see Herne Bay rise up the table.