Western Morning News (Saturday)
Youngsters will bounce back for Bideford
Bideford manager Sean Joyce is confident his young squad will learn from their mistakes and results will improve after their recent blip.
The SouthernLeague Divison One South Robins suffered their third straight league defeat after losing 3-1 at home to promotion-chasing Moneyfields on Saturday. But Joyce insists there’s no need to panic, and says his players, while acknowledging they are lacking in self belief after their recent run, are learning the hard way, and believes it’s only a matter of time before they return to form.
He said: “I’m disappointed. We’re just lacking a bit of confidence at the moment, but I’m not too disillusioned.
“We’re losing games but playing well, and we’re just getting hit in short spells in games and giving ourselves too much work to do.
“We were 3-0 down inside the first 15 minutes on Saturday and I was starting to panic. I thought from there it would be damage limitation.
“But in the second half we played really well. I said to the players that the best way to defend was attack them and go at them. We did that, scored a goal and it was a much better second 45 minutes.
“After losing a lot of players in the summer we have a young, inexperienced squad, but they will learn with every game.
“We have to watch and learn from sides like Moneyfields. They were men, from one to 16, with experience of playing at a higher level. There are things our players can pick up from them and it will make them better players.
“It will come good, over the next five or six weeks there will be more shape and I’m sure results will pick up again.”
Despite their recent run, Bideford are only three points outside the play-off places.
On Saturday they travel to Cinderford Town, who they will move above if they return to winning ways.
Bideford will be without Craig Allen, who is suspended, while Ben Wood is away.
Joyce says he will be looking to add to his squad this week, but on a limited budget he admits his targets will be restricted.