Herne Bay are suffering an injury crisis the likes of which joint-manager John Embery has not seen before.

Bay had to use three midfielders in defence in their 5-0 defeat at Hastings United in the Bostik South East.

Results have suffered as a consequence and they find themselves second bottom in the league with just one win from 10 games.

Their next match is against Haywards Heath Town on Saturday.

Embery said: “We need our injury crisis to stop. I have never known anything like it in my time as a manager.

“It also does not help that we have played the top four teams in our last four games. When we have got our strongest 11 out we look like a good side and we are still not close to getting that out.

“I’m hoping we will have a few back by the weekend. I’m hoping we can start to keep the same back four but we have more out than we have available at the moment.

“We are still looking to bring a couple more in. Hopefully that will get done this week.”

Bay were knocked out of the FA Trophy at the weekend against Needham Market but Embery was pleased with the improved performance.

He said: “We did well but we paid the price for not scoring from our chances. Injuries are getting to us at the moment.

“Simon Overland was excellent on Saturday and so was Matt Fry who came back from injury. Matt was man of the match on Saturday against Needham Market but in the 90th minute he pulled his hamstring.

“We probably deserved something from the game.”

Bay have conceded 12 goals in their last two league games and this included a 5-0 defeat at Hastings on Tuesday.

Those injury problems did not help matters against a side who have won nine of their 11 games this season.

Embery said: “Off the back of that match (with Needham Market) we had three injuries and on Tuesday night we only had one defender but we created chances.

“It is a tough one to take. I’m not going to moan at them because we played midfielders at the back. We are putting square pegs in round holes at the moment.

“We have six centre-halves but only one available against Hastings and we had a winger at left-back.

“We had players drop out on the way to the game as well. Hastings have three up front and have one of the best attacks in the league so it was always going to be hard.

“We have signed some really good players recently but we have not been able to play a settled side.”