I’ve got to have a serious think about what I do and how we go about it and who I bring in, says struggling Lordswood boss Richard Styles

LORDSWOOD manager Richard Styles admits his struggling young players must start putting points on the board.

Lordswood remain in the bottom five of the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table with 21 points from 28 games and Saturday’s 3-0 defeat away to bottom-of-the-table side Beckenham Town extended their winless run to nine games.

Fisher slumped back to the foot of the table after their 3-0 home defeat to Bearsted, and Dean Harrison’s side have 18 points from their 28 games, while Beckenham Town leapfrogged over their bitter rivals on 19 points from their 27 league outings.

Erith & Belvedere (20 points from 27 games), Tunbridge Wells (20 points from 24 games), Lordswood (21 points from 28 games) and Erith Town (24 points from 27 games) are all looking over their shoulders.

Lordswood’s next two games are away to Ashford United on Saturday and at home to fifth-placed Sheppey United on 11 March.

Ashford United leapfrogged over Crowborough Athletic at the top of the table following their 5-2 win at Cray Valley yesterday, despite being 2-1 down at the interval.

“I’m really, really excited by that one,” admitted Styles ahead of their trip to the league leaders.

“As a manager you look at games and you see where you’re going to get points and bits and pieces from and that’s not one we can look at and go we’ll have three points there.

“We’ll go with a set-up and try to get whatever we can out of it and try to come back with something.”

When asked how he’s going to keep Lordswood in the top-flight in his first season in charge of the club, Styles replied: “By putting points on the board and winning games!

“If that means I’ve got to bring more players in, then I will but we’ve got no budget at the club at the moment.  I can happily go on record and say that, so the players are playing for me at the moment.

“The boys that have let us down and boys that have walked away that have shown that they’ve got no commitment to me or the club and that’s just something I have to deal with.

“I can’t go out and buy a striker or get a midfielder or get a 30-year-old experienced central defender so I’m very much working with what I’ve got and I’m working with what I’ve got.

“I’m working with a lot of youngsters who have been a credit and have been absolutely superb and I can’t fault them because they’ve come from under 18s and have come into my first team at this level.  You can’t fault them because they’ve given me everything.  They’ve got things to learn, don’t get me wrong, but there is some good ability there.”

When asked how many more points his side need from their last 10 games, Styles’ prediction may be too short.

“I’d say six, six points on the board will probably do it because of the teams down there,” said Styles.

“I don’t think they’ll get any more either but my outlook is the same as every game. 

“I look at my team on a Friday night and I’m happy with what I’ve got and then sometimes at five o’clock on a Saturday I’m not so happy because of the performances that have come in.

“Some players know and they know who they are and they’ve got to step-up and there’s some people I can’t support any more and there’s some people who need to show it on the pitch, what they are about. If not, I’ve got to have a serious think about what I do and how we go about it and who I bring in.”

Ashford United boss Danny Lye added: “It will be a tough game. They’re fighting for their lives down the bottom.  We just have to apply ourselves with the right desire and attitude, we should have too much for them.”

Visit Lordswood’s website: www.lordswoodfc.co.uk

Visit Ashford United’s website:  www.ashfordunitedfc.com

Ashford United  v  Lordswood
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Saturday 4^th March 2017
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Homelands Stadium, Ashford Road, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NJ