Perhaps supporters are adopting the Club's social media strategy. If we don't discuss the bad news, maybe we can make it not have happened in the first place.
I wasn't there either, but Hornchurch's excellent highlights package certainly gave the impression that we weren't as poor as the scoreline suggested, and that we had some good chances to get back into the game after they went 3-1 up early in the second half, so their late fourth possibly flattered them.
If we pretend that the Havant & Waterlooville friendly wasn't real, five defeats in six games still suddenly feels like a bit of a crisis already. A chance for a first win against a side in the top fifteen on Saturday though, so best of luck to all.
Hornchurch are top of the table for a reason, going there midweek was always going to be a tough ask, so the defeat was to be expected. Good start to the season gives a cushion, but current form is probably a wake up call. I understand there's some pressure on the wages bill and that a couple of the coaching staff have already been let go and there is also going to be a need to reduce the playing squad. Difficult days ahead ?
With regard to the players training I spoke to one of the Directors of the club at the Hornchurch game and he said that all of the players including the Hastings based players (who have to travel up) trained at Greenwich together every week and there was no training taking place at Hastings.
He suggested that was one of the reasons that most of last seasons squad left was because they didn't want to travel up there once or twice a week to train.
Money and the reduced budget was another reason why they left but surely the players in the current squad don't come cheap, so I don't really know.
I thought 1st half we looked really good and deservedly took the lead on 39 minutes, but unfortunately they went straight down the other end and equalised. We then could have taken the lead again just before half time but John Ufuah shot over the bar.
I was standing behind the Hornchurch dug out and their manager kept asking the linesman how much longer was left as I think he couldn't wait until half time as we were beginning to get on top. To be honest I thought 1st half Hornchurch looked a very ordinary side.
I don't know what the Hornchurch manager said to them at half time but 2nd half they came out a completely different side, and within 3 minutes they took the lead with a brilliant "goal of the season" contender for them and then 5 minutes later poor defending from us and they were 3-1 ahead.
We had chances to get back into it when Femi shot just around the post and then Bailey Akehurst missed an open goal, other than that we just couldn't find a way through.
Then with a minute to go Dom Vose got caught in possession in midfield and they went straight through and scored.
Then in injury time they could have had 5 as one of their players was left unmarked in the box and his header came back in off the crossbar when he should have scored.
To be honest for their second half performance they deserved to win but I think that 4-1 flattered them a little bit.
The difference between the two sides was poor defending from us and not clinical enough in front of goal, and the complete opposite for them in the 2nd half, not the 1st half though as were unlucky not to go in at half time in front.
