Seasiders boss still confident, despite third straight loss (From Essex County Standard)

Seasiders boss still confident, despite third straight loss

1:12pm Wednesday 15th August 2012 in Sport

FC CLACTON slumped to a third successive Thurlow Nunn League premier division defeat.

But boss Andy Taylor feels his side will soon turn the corner, despite their disappointing start to the new season.

The Seasiders lost 2-1 to Woodbridge Town, a defeat that followed hot on the heels of their FA Cup exit at the hands of division one outfit, Halstead Town.

Clacton have only picked up one point from their three league games so far.

But, despite the latest setback, Taylor was happier with the way his players performed against Woodbridge.

He feels they can take confidence from that into this weekend’s premier division trip to Norwich United.

Taylor said: “We played a lot better then in the previous couple of weeks and I’d say it was our best performance of the season.

“I know it was a 2-1 defeat, but the boys stuck together after they went a goal behind just before half-time.

“I said to them that if they showed the same sort of commitment in the second half then they wouldn’t be too far short and it turned out to be correct.

“I’m not going to blame the referee, but a few decisions didn’t go our way.

“We felt we had a good penalty shout in the first half and also questioned whether the lad who got their winning goal should have still been on the pitch after an incident earlier in the game.

“But we can take confidence from the positives in our performance and it shows we are going in the right direction.”

BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT ran out 3-0 winners over Cornard United, in division one.

All of their goals came in the second half, with Terry Rymer, Sam Holman and Darryl Wallis hitting the net.

Brightlingsea survived a scare in the first half when Kev Hughes was ruled to have fouled a Cornard striker in the area.

But keeper Matt Griggs was equal to the spot-kick and made a great save.

Brightlingsea manager James Webster said: “For me, it’s a step in the right direction but we still have a lot of room for improvement.

“A lot of it I think is confidence - and our lack of it at the moment.

“Work rate is key in this league and to out-work our opponents is the bare minimum I expect from my players.”

WIVENHOE TOWN suffered their first defeat of the new season when they were beaten at Haverhill Rovers, to go out of the FA Cup.

The Dragons lost 2-0 in their extra preliminary round replay at New Croft, to exit the competition.