Lordswood manager Nicky Southall is frustrated with defending after another SCEFL Premier Division defeat – Lords have a week’s break before facing Rochester United in the FA Vase
Published: 05:00, 09 October 2024
Lordswood boss Nicky Southall could make changes to his squad during a break in play after growing frustrated at their inability to keep clean sheets.
Southall’s men came away from Glebe beaten 3-1 on Saturday - a result that dropped them to 14th in the Southern Counties East Premier Division table.
Lordswood haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their 10 league games and have won just one in six. It’s a concern for Southall and with no game this Saturday, he’ll be assessing what he can do.
They return to action at Martyn Grove next Saturday with a derby against Rochester United in the FA Vase first round.
Speaking to the club’s media after their weekend defeat, an exasperated Southall said: “It was frustrating to have conceded the goals we did, two set-pieces and a breakaway goal on us again.
“It seems that teams manage to get those scruffy goals against us and we don’t. We have to earn them, whereas teams get those horrible, tap-in goals against us.
“It tells me that we haven’t been strong enough or organised enough, we have not got enough leaders when the ball goes dead, from corners, set-pieces, throws and free-kicks.
“I said to the boys (before the weekend) that we needed to start getting clean sheets. We will get goals, there are goals in us, we were the better team but came off 3-1 because we don’t do our jobs from set-pieces.
“We might have to do things in training where we don’t do patterns of play, or keep-ball sessions, we just start throwing balls into the box and get organised.
“We have a big cup game to look forward to (next weekend) and I’ll look at the squad, see if we can get a few in, a few out, make a few changes.”
Lordswood started the season well, winning games, scoring plenty and making it onto national TV in the FA Cup.
Southall doesn’t want the recent slump to set in.
He said: “All of a sudden we seem to have lost our way a bit, whether that’s through confidence or whatever.
“I’m at the club to make those changes and that is what we’ll be doing.
“I said to them that if they find themselves out of the team for the Rochester game then it’s not my fault. When you cross the white line you have to go and produce.
“It’s not kids’ football anymore, it’s men’s football, you have to start growing up and (they have to) take on board what I have said to them and we’ll get organised for the game against Rochester.”
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Luke Cawdell