Bognor Regis Town told: Seize on the positives – cut out the errors
Danny Hollands wants his Bognor Regis Town players to double down on the positive aspects off their performances – but has urged them to make fewer errors to give them their best shot of a successful season.
The Rocks head in to Saturday's pre-season friendly at Southern League Premier South outfit Havant & Waterlooville on the back of a 3-2 defeat at division counterparts Sholing a week ago.
Yet there was plenty to like about the visitors, who scored through striker Cal Laycock and winger Lennie Smith. And Hollands told the club's YouTube channel: "With the three goals we have conceded, we would like to cut the mistakes out.
“If a team breaks you down or it is decent play you can kind of accept it a bit more, but today it was a couple of first contacts, someone wanting the ball a bit more -- which is a bit disappointing. But on the flip side of that we have scored two goals against a decent side and we could have had more ourselves so there were more positives than negatives.
"As a whole it's moving forward and that's what pre-season is all about. We have three more tough tests (Havant, Eastleigh, Chichester City) and, hopefully, come the last test we will be ready to go on August 9 (when Rocks host Abbey Rangers in the FA Cup).
Hollands boosted his squad further when Finley Walsh-Smith has put pen to paper on a deal to join the club last week. Central defender Walsh-Smith delivered a decent display at the Mortgage Decisions Stadium in his first outing since a loan spell last term.
And paperwork is being finalised to bring attacking midfielder Ollie Lovell to Nyewood Lane as Hollands puts the finishing touches to assembling his group before the Isthmian South Central division campaign gets underway.
Walsh-Smith spent time with the Rocks last season from Gosport Borough and was with the Privett Park outfit until recently. Lovell, formerly of Hamble Club, has impressed as a trialist and subject to FA ratification should see his switch confirmed soon.
Meanwhile, Hollands has revealed midfielder Ben Anderson picked up an injury in the Fareham friendly but the good news is that it isn't connected to the dislocated ankle and a fractured fibula that kept him out for two years.
The boss explained: "Ben felt something in his knee but hopefully for us it doesn't seem as serious as we thought so we are hoping he won't be out for too long. I know what he has been through and the hardships he has had so I am hoping we can get him back out there, get him minutes and get him back and part of being with the squad."
Rocks welcome Eastleigh to the Nye Camp on Tuesday (July 28) before concluding their friendlies at home to Chichester City on Saturday, August 1.