Bognor's FA Trophy display simply not good enough for bosses - but fans urged to stay behind them

Robbie Blake has responded to the Rocks' dismal FA Trophy defeat to Walton Casuals by asking Rocks fans to get behind the team as they head into two vital games at Nyewood Lane that could help shape the remainder of their season.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th Nov 2018, 10:54 BST
Updated 12th Nov 2018, 13:49 BST
Bognor concede at Walton Casuals / Picture by Darren CrispBognor concede at Walton Casuals / Picture by Darren Crisp
Bognor concede at Walton Casuals / Picture by Darren Crisp

Blake hopes supporters will back the players when they host Corinthian Casuals on Tuesday and then Wingate & Finchley on Saturday.

The Bostik premier games come after the FA Trophy loss that left Blake furious at the lack of work-rate from his charges - but the ex-Pompey coach says the players should look to their league form to provide evidence they have the ability to turn things around.

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Blake said: "We go again, we have to go again and I want to tell the fans that we will get it right and we will get back on front foot. Look where we are in the league, stay behind us. We've lost one game in the league and we have two home games coming up. If we win them we are back in the mix to try win the league let alone be within the play-offs.

"We need to get back to some basics of how we were in the first ten games when we were blowing trams away and looked like a really strong unit. Yes, we have got injuries and frailties at the minute and it's not easy to sort them out.

"There quarters of this team were the team that was playing really well at the start of the season you've got to look at it and say, 'we're not playing a different way'. Yes, the personnel are a little different but we are asking them to do the same things. You've seen against Walton we were poor but still created four or five good opportunities and in the second half it must have been 25 or 30 minutes before they got into our half."

Bognor manager Jack Pearce is keen to recruit players to cover for injuries and to bolster a thin squad but Blake doesn't accept that this should be an excuse for the poor performance at Walton.

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He added: "It wasn't acceptable and the players were not good enough as far as I am concerned; the players out there didn't do enough.

"Apart from Dan Lincoln, no-one else came out with any credit and what was worrying was that were beaten by a team that wanted it more than us. We need to address it if for Tuesday against Corinthian Casuals and then again on Saturday."

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Related topics:Robbie BlakeFA TrophyBognor