Boss Pearce devastated by Rocks defeat to relegation rivals

Jack Pearce said he was 'totally and utterly devastated' by Bognor's home loss to Concord - and wished he never had to watch another match.
Jack Pearce was hugely frustrated to see the Rocks lose to Concord / Picture by Tim HaleJack Pearce was hugely frustrated to see the Rocks lose to Concord / Picture by Tim Hale
Jack Pearce was hugely frustrated to see the Rocks lose to Concord / Picture by Tim Hale

He was very downbeat after two first-half goals - both from poor defending - set up Rangers for a vital victory at the bottom of National League South.

It was a game the Rocks dominated for long periods but they had only Keaton Wood's late header to show for their considerable efforts, leaving them still second from bottom.

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Pearce told the Bognor Observer: “I’ve been in this game a long time and it’s on days like today that I wish I never had to see another football match ever again. The players, near enough, did everything I believe in. I can’t knock their work ethic, I can’t knock what they’re trying to do because we are trying to play a different type of football to most non-league teams.

“They did ever so well and yet I have to sit here and look at another team who I’ve got no dispespect for but they haven’t got one player I’d like to take, and yet here I am, they’ve scored two, we’ve got one, they go home with the points.

“Where I am disappointed is that both their goals were self-inflicted rather than scored through great play. Let’s be honest, we’re in contention with Concord for one of the relegation spots and we’re at home and we’re 2-0 down. You’re thinking “What’s going on here? We’ve had all the ball. We got one back at the end and we huffed and we puffed and we played some good stuff. It’s just heartbreaking to be honest with you.

“I am totally and utterly devastated by that result. Now it’s my job to lift them for the next game which won’t be easy. We’ve just got to keep working. I’ve still got a lot of faith in them but it’s becoming harder and harder to motivate them because the best way a team believe in their manager is by winning games of football. What you’re telling them, they believe in.

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“We’ve now got a situation where I’m telling them to do things, they’re doing those things and we’re losing. But I still think that what we’re doing is right. It creates chances but we just can’t put the ball in the net. And we make such schoolboy errors at the other end.

“What I learned very early in football is that you can have everything between the two penalty areas but if you’re not effective defending your penalty area and not effective attacking the other team’s area, you have problems.”

Pearce said injuries and bans were not helping the cause. "I’ve got three left-backs out (James Crane, Kristian Campbell and Archie Edwards) and now two centre-halves because Corey Heath is injured and Sami El-Abd is banned for three games. I’ve got six out, which is not easy. I’m going to rin Kristian Campbell on Monday and hope he’s okay. If not, I’ll have to sign a fourth left-back!”

Bognor go to Bath next Saturday.