Smith: Local rivalries spurring us on (From Your Local Guardian)

Smith: Local rivalries spurring us on

10:33am Monday 15th February 2010 in

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Billy Smith reckons it is boom time for local football at the moment - and is just glad Tooting & Mitcham are part of the shake-up.

The Terrors host Sutton United in a Ryman Premier battle of the play-off chasers this weekend, looking to do the double after their 2-1 win at Gander Green Lane in December.

And with Kingstonian riding high in second in the same division, Smith admits the local successes are driving everyone on.

He said: “It is great to see and if a few of us could get into the play-offs that would be fantastic.

“You look at the sides within a five-mile radius and we are doing remarkably well.

“Carshalton may not be having the best of times but they were expected to do better.

“Even if you drop down a division you have Croydon Athletic doing really well.

“I think everyone is giving each other a bit of a push and helping the other out results-wise.

“The only problem is the crowds - because we have so many sides doing well in such a small area it is affecting everybody’s gates.”

Tooting kept pace at the top with an encouraging 1-1 draw at Harrow Borough on Saturday, Jason Henry popping up with a late header.

And Smith paid tribute to a patched-up side missing Paul Vines and Andrew Howell.

He added: “We had to stick Paul on the bench to name three subs but he was never going to start.

“Jason’s goal was great - he may be the smallest man on the pitch but he has a fantastic jump and wins more headers than people realise.

“We are just battling on at the moment.

“The Sutton game will be another test - we won there in the league but then they came and won here in the Surrey Senior Cup so this will be the decider.

“I am sure it will be a good game with a cracking atmosphere and I am looking forward to it.”

Tooting & Mitcham’s next three matches: Feb 20 Sutton United (h), 23 Waltham Abbey (a), 27 Hendon (h)