Inconsistent season start but no need for ‘panic’

Wayne Grant stressed there is no need for Paulsgrove 'panic stations' after they slipped to a second defeat in four Hampshire Premier League Senior Division matches on Saturday.

Steven Harding struck the only goal 25 minutes from time as Liphook United claimed a 1-0 victory at home to Grove.

Paulsgrove have already been beaten in double the amount of league matches than the coronavirus pandemic shortened previous campaign.

Grant's men had won nine and drew the other of their 10 league matches when the 2020-21 campaign was curtailed.

But the Paulsgrove boss says he is not concerned by his side's start to the season and is confident his players will hit their straps and start firing soon enough.

Grant, pictured, said: ‘I’m obviously disappointed with the result but there’s no need for panic at the moment. Every team is in the same position and everyone is hit and miss at the moment.

‘I think November/ December time everyone will start having more of a settled side and things like that.

‘It’s not panic stations, as they say, the performances are there it’s just the end product at the moment.

‘I think it’s going to be par for the season with lesser teams taking points off everybody.

Grant had anticipated having a squad of 16 to choose from but instead Paulsgrove took just 12 players to Liphook with some players receiving Covid-19 self-isolation messages in the build-up to the match.

The Paulsgrove boss feels it’s going to take teams even longer to settle than usual this term.

Grant said: ‘It has been mixed (season start). Obviously Saturday wasn’t great, we’ve got so many players missing still, which obviously isn’t helping matters. I don’t think you’re going to see anything pan out until sort of January time. Fleetlands have been very hit and miss but they’re going to be up there, Locks Heath have been hit and miss.

‘I honestly do think because it’s very early season, people keep getting pinged with this Covid app all the time, so nobody really has had a settled side yet.

‘It was frustrating because we totally dominated the game against Liphook we had 70 per cent possession, about 10 or 12 shots, it’s one of those things.’