Happy at halfway: Horsham boss content at wins and clean sheets

Kieran Monlouis is Horsham's latest addition - he is pictured here during a spell with AFC Sudbury

And while manager Dom Di Paola isn’t getting carried away, he says he is happy with how members of the Hornets squad have performed.

The manager has bid farewell to another regular in the past week – loyal servant Joe Shelley has moved to Saltdean – and has made another signing, former Dulwich midfielder Kieran Monlouis, a 25-year-old St Lucia international.

The boss assessed progress after a 6-0 friendly win at Loxwood on Tuesday night, which followed clean-sheet wins at Met Police and Three Bridges and at home to Saltdean.

This Saturday’s friendly visit to Hartley Wintney marks the halfway stage in a nine-game friendly schedule. Di Paola said: “It’s going okay. I’m happy with the group. The squad is coming together.

“It’s hard to assess pre-season games because opponents, like you, play all sorts of youngsters and trialists, but I’d say we’re making progress.

“We’re pleased to sign Kieran – he needs minutes and games because he’s not played regularly for a while.

“But I was sad to see Biff(Shelley) move. He’d been talking to me about it and it was not a surprise. He just felt he couldn’t give the commitment needed at this level any more.

“He’d be welcome back any time.”

Di Paola has lost five of last season’s squad and recruited eight new faces.

He said that was more movement than he had expected but he did not anticipate many, if any, more ins and outs before the Isthmian premier season starts on September 19.

“We’ve effecitvely had to re-do the midfield, which isn’t ideal. But I’m happy with those who’ve come in.” There are five more friendlies to come and Di Paola said the later ones were likely to see him field something like the XI he felt was his strongest.

Horsham go to South Park next Tuesday, then welcome fans back to the ground v Harrow on September 5. Di Paola said: “It will be brilliant to see the fans back now that common sense has been seen.”

Supporters get another home friendly, versus Ramsgate on September 8, and pre-season ends at Dorking on September 12.