Competition

Date

Saturday 22nd August 2009

Collier warns Swindon Supermarine to tighten up

By Anthony Marshall » Swindon Advertiser

Mark Collier has urged every member of his Supermarine side to tighten up defensively, or face the prospect of a long season ahead. Marine travelled to Cambridge City in the Southern League Premier Division on Saturday, where they were trounced 5-0 – their second heavy defeat of the week. Doubles from Neil Midgley and John Frendo, and a Lee Chaffey strike killed off the challenge of Collier’s men, but the boss refused to lay the blame solely at the feet of his back line.

 

“That’s eight goals conceded in two games, but the back four have done okay really,” he admitted. “You have to defend from the front – it’s not just about the back four and goalkeeper. “Matt (Bulman, Supermarine keeper) has made some good saves and the back four have done well individually. We just need to make sure we are a bit more switched on all over the park. “In this league if you give the ball away it can be a long time before you get it back again. We were a bit sloppy in possession at times. “We’re in a tough league and you’re not going to win many games in this division letting in two goals, let alone threes and fours. If we don’t sort that out it could be a long season. “I said to the lads that no-one else is going to feel sorry for us, so we can’t feel sorry for ourselves.”

 

Cambridge broke the deadlock on 27 minutes when Midgley’s shot took a deflection off defender Leigh Henry to loop up over Bulman and into the back of the net. Two goals in as many minutes after the break, from Chaffey and Midgley, put the Lilywhites firmly in control before Marine’s afternoon went from bad to worse when Henry was sent off in the 77th minute. Frendo then grabbed a late brace to rub salt in the wounds but Collier, pictured, insists his side will be working hard to turn things round on Wednesday night against Truro City.

 

“We played quite well in the first half and were a bit unlucky to go behind to a deflected goal. “Then we conceded early in the second half and had Leigh Henry sent off and a few heads dropped. “But a good side like Cambridge don’t feel sorry for anyone and keep piling forward and we were on the wrong end of a beating. “We’ll sit down and talk through it collectively. I’m not lambasting anybody because that’s not the way forward. “It’s something we need to work out on the training ground and we’ll do that ready for a big game against Truro.”

 

From a Cambridge perspective - Match Report

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