Cray Wanderers manager Tim O’Shea on the club’s potential at Flamingo Park home and keeping promising young players next season

Manager Tim O’Shea is excited by the potential of Cray Wanderers.

The 58-year-old was previously assistant to Neil Smith but has taken the main role at Flamingo Park after the latter left to join League 1 Crawley in March.

O’Shea could guide Wanderers to an impressive top-10 finish in Isthmian Premier during a memorable first season at their new permanent home.

“I flip-flopped with the decision to step up and do it,” said O’Shea. “But when you've got a changing room like that, it was going to be very difficult to walk away when Smudge got his job.

“Now I'm in it and I've been given the chance, I'm excited. I think we've got a lot of work to do in the summer, as you do.

“Our objective now is to try and keep hold of the nucleus of this team, and then try and add a little bit more to it. From the turn of the year to now, we're probably a top-eight side.

“It's just a case of getting three or four in just to boost what we've already got. The second half of the season has been absolutely magnificent for Cray Wanderers.

“We've carried a little bit of form into the tail end of the season.

“Having more than 2,000 people here on Easter Monday (for the 2-2 draw with Dartford) was beyond anybody's dreams,

“There were a few neutrals here who saw that we do try and play a little bit of football. We've got some good characters, some good players in amongst them.

“Hopefully, they go away during the post-season, they spread the word that there's a decent club on their doorstep, and we get a few more through the door next year.”

Skipper Tom Bonner has already committed to the new season.

But there are, of course, potential pitfalls and O’Shea admitted he could face a battle to retain the services of full-backs Darion Dowrich and Ike Orji.