Darren Blackburn is delighted with the midfield options Hythe have at their disposal.

Attacking midfielder Shad Ngandu and Harry Miller have recently signed for the Cannons alongside defender Jason Fregene.

Ngandu and Fregene both struck last Saturday as Hythe had continued their 100% pre-season record with a 2-0 success over Southern Counties East Premier Division club Tunbridge Wells before they lost 3-0 to Folkestone on Tuesday.

The Cannons have an exciting mix of midfielders, with ex-Ashford player Jarred Trespaderne and teenager Ethan Smith also among their ranks.

“With the way we play, we sort of need that really,” said Blackburn, part of boss Steve Watt’s new management team.

“Steve demands a lot of the lads and we back that up. We’ve all bought into it.

“That will be important going forward. Harry Miller is a lad I worked with at Sittingbourne. He’s 6ft 4in and can put his head - or a tackle - in.

“It [the new signings] gives us plenty of competition in midfield areas but, equally, they all offer something different depending on what Steve wants to go with.

“Jason is, obviously, a player I have known for a number of years now.

“I worked with him at Hollands & Blair and I recommended him to Chris Lynch at Sittingbourne. He brings a lot of pace and power.

“He will be the first to admit he is not perfect, but nobody really is at this level and he has a lot of good attributes.

“Shad is a goalscoring midfielder, that’s an area we wanted to improve on.

"He has come and done really well as well.”

So far it has been a positive pre-season despite the loss to Neil Cugley's men for Hythe, who will welcome Bowers & Pitsea - managed by ex-Faversham manager James Collins - to Reachfields this Saturday.

But former Sittingbourne manager Blackburn said: “It’s pre-season, isn’t it? So you cannot tell much.

"It’s just about getting some consistency, which is difficult, but we are pleased with how it’s gone.”