Clymping boss disappointed with Mile Oak defeat

CLYMPING Football Club boss Darren Atkins was unhappy with what he called a backwards step after his side’s 4-0 defeat against Mile Oak in County League Division 2 on Saturday, and he pulled no punches telling his players so.
By The Newsroom
Published 18th Nov 2010, 12:30 BST

After what the manager saw as improving performances of late, despite still searching for their first win, he believed that Oak was a match they could have won but was left questioning his players’ attitudes as they trailed 3-0 at the break.

He said: “We were really poor in the first half and I was shocked as, for the first time, I had a whole team available to pick from.

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“I really felt it was all going to be good as I had gone and watched them midweek against Littlehampton and I wasn’t too impressed with them. I felt they were a beatable team for us.

“But I was very disappointed. We didn’t start well or play well for the whole of the first half, nothing like we have been in recent weeks and I was upset by our performance.

“I gave them a real rollicking at half-time and told them I couldn’t understand what was up with them, and that seemed to get a bit of a response as it was a better performance second half, but after playing like we did in the first it was too late.

“Mile Oak are not one of the better teams we have played this year but they wanted it more and we got what we deserved. It was men against boys in the first half.

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“I am very disappointed as in the last three games we have showed an improvement but it was a step back on Saturday.”

Goals from Dave Marsh, Tony Burnett and Jason Hollick put Oak ahead at half-time after they controlled the first 45 minutes.

Clymping did have a couple of chances to get back into it after the break but spurned three glorious opportunities.

Steve Duffin and Wayne Longhurst both went through one-on-one but failed to beat Oak keeper Aaron Stenning, while another chance was put wide.

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Wayne Whittington compoun-ded Clymping’s misery with nine minutes to go when he got Oak’s fourth.

Clymping have a week off before facing Midhurst on December 4, and Atkins is targeting the match as a must-win game.

He said: “It is a big, big game for us and something we really need something from, especially as our old manager, Phil Churchill, is playing there and I honestly think we can get a result.”

CLYMPING: May; Burty, Denfold, Mann, Higgs; Lee, J.Atkins, Kiddle, Hird; Duffin, Longhurst. Subs: Lawton (Hird 20), Rudd (Kiddle 70), Palmer (J.Atkins 60), Perkins.