SKIPPER HYDE RELEASED BY BILLERICAY ; Up to five new faces expected at Town in summer [Edition 3]

BILLERICAY Town have released the vastly experienced captainMicah Hyde.

And two or three other players will be shown the New Lodge doorthis week as manager Craig Edwards is already preparing to bringaround four or five new faces for next season.

"We've identified the four or five players we want to bring in tostrengthen key areas where we need to be stronger," said Edwardsyesterday (Tuesday). "Most of the players we want to stay have saidthey will and I wanted to get it all sorted as quickly as possible.

Stay "I'll be speaking to two or three current players this weekto say they are being released so everyone will know where theystand.

"Obviously we have to stay within the budget set and hopefullythe new players we want will come but as always experience meansthat you also have to have a plan B. Edwards appears to be satisfiedwith his back defensive four and admits that one of the problemareas has been in front of the back four.

"If you look at the statistics it shows that defensively we havebeen one of the strongest this season (conceding 45 goals) but wehaven't scored enough up at the other end (56 goals)," he explained."So we know what we have to do to come back stronger next season."

It looks as if the Blues fans next season will still see thelikes of the experienced defenders Adam Flanagan, Greg Oates, IanCousins and Chris Wild but there will be some new faces in midfieldand up front.

"We'll be getting everything sorted straight away so everyoneknows where we stand and we can hit the ground running when pre-season starts."

Overall Edwards said he was pleased with his first season incharge but bitterly disappointed they didn't make the play-offsadding: "We ended up 11th with 69 points which last season wouldhave been enough to have made the play-offs and this year we're justfour points off them.

"The terrible Easter weekend, dropping points against CroydonAthletic and Hendon killed us and in the end cost our play-offchances which was really disappointing.

Inconsistent "We seem to have players who raise their gameagainst the top teams but are inconsistent and poor against thelower placed sides and that has to change."

Edwards admits his first season in charge of the Blues has gonequickly and he can't wait for pre-season to start.

He added: "We've done well, winning the club's first cup for 30-odd years and consistently being up at the top end of the table.

"But I know we can do better and we should have made those play-offs."

On Saturday's 1-0 home win against champions Sutton United intheir final league game he said: "That was typical of our season -we played really well and it was a great perfor mance.

"In reality we should have scored five or six goals and the oneTony Boot did get was superb.

"It just shows what we are capable of and I want us to build onwhat we've done this season and make sure we're there next year."