Herne Bay boss Steve Lovell vows side won’t sit back – despite weekend hosts Three Bridges beating title-chasing Cray Valley 5-4 – after two see red for Bay in derby defeat

Manager Steve Lovell has vowed Herne Bay won’t sit back for a potentially thrilling match at promotion rivals Three Bridges.

Both teams sit on the same number of points as they aim to reach Isthmian Premier through the play-offs - albeit Three Bridges are ahead with a slightly better goal difference, prior to Saturday’s meeting at Jubilee Walk.

Only Isthmian South East leaders Ramsgate have scored more league goals this term than the Bridges. But Bay haven’t struggled to find the target themselves, with last November’s meeting between the sides at Winch’s Field finishing in a 3-3 draw.

“We’ll approach it in the same way and go for a win,” said Lovell.

“I don’t believe in sitting back and getting a draw. We’ll take the game to them and see how it goes. We have got to score goals and try to win games now.

“There’s no point hanging on for one point.

“We’ll go all out, try to get a result and, hopefully, that’ll spur us on.”

Three Bridges edged a nine-goal game at second-placed Cray Valley last weekend to consign Steve McKimm’s side to a first league defeat of the season, while Bay will be without the experienced duo of player-coach Liam Friend and forward Kane Rowland after they were both sent off in Saturday’s 2-1 derby defeat to Hythe.

Lovell added: “They had a really good result at Cray on Saturday.

“It’s going to be a tough game there - it always is - but we have enough players in our squad now. It’s a chance for some of them to come in and show us what they can do.

“I’ll have to change the formation but we’ll work on it in training this week and go there and, hopefully, get a result.

“The next game on Saturday is important - but so are our home games.

“If we can win all our home games, we will have a good chance of