A message to all fans' is to stick with us, says Lordswood boss Richard Styles

LORDSWOOD manager Richard Styles says he has blamed the club’s poor run of form due to his players’ poor attitudes.

Styles takes his side to Sevenoaks Town tomorrow with his side sitting in fourteenth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table with 13 points from 14 games.

Micky Collins’ side are in the top seven on 21 points from 9 games, although the Oaks are seven points adrift of league leaders Ashford United, but with three games in hand.

Lordswood crashed out of The Buildbase FA Vase last weekend, losing 2-1 at home to Newhaven.

“We were extremely unfortunate not to come away with a result,” said Styles.

“As the game went on either side could have nicked it at the end, as we both had chances.

“One mistake in the 89^th minute cost us in a game which we played well in. 

“I have seen a drastic improvement in our performances as a whole over the past month, which is very positive, looking ahead and moving forwards.

“The squad had settled down and are beginning to work really well together, building a strong dressing room morale.”

Sevenoaks Town go into the game on a run of five straight wins.

Styles said: “I’m expecting a tough game tomorrow. Sevenoaks are on a good run, but as we have seen in this league so far this season, anybody can beat any team on their day.

“It’s 11-versus-11 and if we set-up right and the boys perform then I truly believe we can win the game.  I’ll never go to a game hoping to just get through it. We’re travelling there to try and win the game and get some points on the board.”

Lordswood have lost five of their last six games and Styles admitted: “The season so far has been a bit of a rollercoaster.  We started a squad from scratch six weeks before the season begun. We probably started the season too well with us exceeding expectations.

“Over the past five weeks we have seen 12 players leave the club, with only five coming in, so stability has been a problem where we have really seen the true colours of some players. Some have let me down, some have shown a poor attitude and I’m not interested in that in players.

“I’m only interested in players who have the right attitude to run through brick walls for me and committed as well.

“Knowing the club and the league and I feel we are well on our way to achieving that, because I have a good bunch of lads together now.

“It was never going to be an overnight success coming here as manager and over time it will come right, I am confident of that.

“We just need to get stability among the squad and we are already beginning to turn a corner, it will come.

“Over the past month we have seen a dramatic improvement in our performances. We lost 2-1 in a tight FA Vase game where we could’ve won it. People say you make your own luck in this game so I think we are due some at some point this season.”

Styles has signed former Lordswood pair Grant McIheron (Whitstable Town) and Shane Uings (Gravesham Borough) and he is keen to turn things around.

He said: “A message to all fans and followers is to stick with us, because I feel we are over the worst spell and patch of the season. We will get there, but it’s going to take time and won’t happen overnight. The setup is good, the changing room is good now and there’s nothing more that myself and the staff could be doing, so everything is in place we just need some more points on the board.”

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

Sevenoaks Town  v  Lordswood
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Saturday 29^th October 2016
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Greatness Park, Seal Road, Mill Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent