Sittingbourne v Hastings United Match Programme 20th April 2019

From the Manager
"Not Good Enough" - is the only message
which can be sent out after our fifth straight defeat.
There can be no excuses here, and nowhere to
hide. Simply put the lads know we have not
been good enough over the past few weeks.
When your low on confidence and the little bit
of luck we all get from time to time just isn't
happening, things can be extremely hard to
take some times. Especially when we are creating
chances at the other end, but for whatever
reason/s a large majority are either going just
wide or hitting the bar/post on a regular basis.
Yesterday, we decided to change things up a
little and start in a very attacking 1-3-5-2 formation
utilising our strengths going forwards. It
was a game I felt we could and should win,
sometimes the best form of Defence is Attack.
Unfortunately, after 15 minutes we had to
change it back to a more familiar 1-4-4-2 as we
were just getting carved open down the right
wing far too easily. Even so, I felt we still had
more than enough to compete and return with
all three points. However, this was just not
meant to be. We have a real issue at present,
this has been a consistent theme all season,
we are gifting goals away to teams through our
own mistakes. If you look at the stats 92% of all
goals conceded since January 2019 have come
from unforced errors. This is an area we have
to address going into next season, as no club
can survive with percentages like these.
Here are some more stats which show a telling
picture.
We have conceded 37 times from 42 games in
all competitions so far this season. We had
kept only five clean sheets in all competitions.
This is why we are in the position we are in.
None of us can hide from the facts. We concede
too many and do not score enough. I
wanted desperately for us to comfortably survive
on our own terms. However, today we
found ourselves awaiting the result of the Gurnsey
v Greenwich match to give us a clearer picture
of exactly what we now have to do to ensure
our league status. Thankfully the match
ended 1-1 which means Greenwich have to win
their two remaining fixtures and we have to lose
all three of ours as well as having to concede
more than 16 goals in the process. The percentages
are with us, the relegation battle now
looks to be between Greenwich/Guernsey &
Faversham.
As it stands this is still not an acceptable position
to be in, the strange thing here is though
that should we win our last three games technically
that puts us inside the top ten, results depending
elsewhere. Its a very strange situation.
So, now we have to focus upon the next three,
and this week we will set the lads their last remaining
challenges for this season.
1. Can we finish the season on a high.
2. Can we win all three games of football.
Right now some would say this is near on impossible,
given our recent run of form, but I say
this is where we will see the true character and
desire of the current group. Can we dig in and
make ourselves hard to beat, three more times,
can we give the fans, the town, the club a finish
worthy of their continued support?
These are the questions each player will be
asked this week.
My apologies to all the travelling fans yesterday,
for us not immediately, going over to you
as you are accustomed too at the final whistle. I
instructed all players to gather around at the
end of the match as I felt so disappointed, I
wanted to talk to all the players there and then
in order to put across my immediate feelings on
what I had just witnessed.
When all is said and done, its 11v11 and the 11
who want it most will succeed. Talk Is cheap,
actions will always speak louder than words.
To the fans, I simply say this:
The lads will you need your support more than
ever going into the three remaining fixtures,
and we know with you behind us, (the best set
of fans in the league by a long shot), that we
will fight for every ball.
Finally I wish you and your family a very Happy
Easter
Chris Lynch