Atkins optimistic despite Clymping’s defeat at Storrington

Swans won with goals from Steve Tasker, Dave Tidman, with two, and Tim Martin, but Atkins felt his side deserved at least a draw.

He said: “It was a vast improvement from last week, and the 9-0 loss we had against this very Storrington team a month or two back.

“It’s been tough, and even more players have gone since Phil (Churchill) left.

“I think that we’re starting to gel and the types of performances we’ll need are starting to come.

“I’ll be getting some more experienced players in, our goalkeeper has played at Conference level and in the Wessex League, and it’s still early days yet.

“There’s better organisation and a bit more purpose. I’m hopeful that once we get the new players in, we’ll be a force and start getting some results.

“ It was very encouraging and we deserved at least a draw. Their manager said to me afterwards that he thinks we’ll get out of trouble with that team, and that we showed great spirit and put in a brilliant effort. They took their chances and we didn’t, and that was the difference really.”

Clymping went close through Matthew James, whose shot was blocked, and Adam Palmer, who headed over, but after Martin and Tidman had given Swans a 2-0 interval lead, Tasker and then Tidman, again, saw Storrington progress.

CLYMPING: May; T.Rudd, Lawton, Palmer, Johnson; M.Rudd, James, Perkins, Cooke; J.Atkins, Matthews. Sub: Higgs (M.Rudd 60).