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Lordswood manager Neil Hunter says they looked like conceding every time they had the ball!

Neil Hunter believes his change of approach will serve Lordswood well once Southern Counties East football resumes.

Boss Hunter says he made a mistake at the start of the season by playing too open.

Lordswood manager Neil Hunter
Lordswood manager Neil Hunter

They’ve since tightened up and while they go into the four-week lockdown third-bottom, he’s convinced they will be fine whenever they return to action.

Hunter, who succeeded Darren Anslow over the summer, said: “I’ve changed the system to suit the players we’ve got.

“At the start of the season it was more a case of ‘let’s have a go’ but I made a mistake with that.

“I thought I had good enough players to take the game to teams but we looked like conceding every time we had the ball where we were so open.

“I’ve had to go back two or three years and say, ‘OK, if you’re going to beat us, you’ll have to work hard to break us down.'

“The system suits us and we’re looking more of a team.

“Before, we looked like individuals put into a team, trying to play a way that didn’t suit everybody, but we’ve worked that out.

“We don’t know when we’ll get back playing but we’ll be fine, I’m certain of that."

Lordswood have had their share of bad luck, as so often happens when teams are near the bottom.

They suffered more misfortune at Beckenham on Saturday when keeper Ryan Turner was harshly sent off after half an hour, with outfield player Jason Perry taking the gloves.

Hunter’s side held out with 10 men until conceding three times in the last 20 minutes.

Former Lordswood boss Darren Anslow Picture: Sean Aidan
Former Lordswood boss Darren Anslow Picture: Sean Aidan

“Things do go against you when you’re down there,” he said.

“You’re pulling you hair out at certain decisions.

“The player involved in the red card at Beckenham, I had him at Fisher and he came up to me in the clubhouse afterwards and said the keeper didn’t touch him.

“In some ways that’s the last thing you want to hear.

“We had it at Sheppey, too, where their keeper’s caught the ball a yard-and-a-half outside his box and nothing’s given.

“You look at that and think surely something’s got to turn for us.

“We end up losing that game 1-0 and you’re saying to yourself, ‘Have I done something in a previous life?’

“It’s been a catalogue of things but I’m really enjoying it because we’ve got an unbelievable dressing room, considering we’ve been struggling for results.

“When you get clapped off by home fans at Sheppey and Beckenham, you know you’re doing something right.

“We can’t play as well as we do and not get results.”

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