Churchill quits and Clymping are hit for 10 at AFC Uckfield

Darren Atkins, who was joint manager with Churchill, is now sole boss but his side fell to their 12th consecutive defeat.

The reverse is Clymping’s heaviest defeat of the season after they had been thrashed 9-0 by Storrington earlier in the season, but their fortunes appeared to be changing with a number of good performances against top six sides, until this latest disaster.

Clymping began well but from the moment league leaders AFC Uckfield went ahead on 34 minutes, the basement side were up against it and, after going in at half-time 2-0 down, they crumpled in the second half.

Clymping chairman Frank Sumner said: “The game was even in the first half-hour and we did well up until they went 1-0 in front but the ref missed a foul on our player in the build-up to their first goal and the second was a blatant handball.

“Everything went against us, as so often happens when you’re struggling. They over-ran us and we collapsed in the second half. The quality of players we’ve got isn’t good enough and we need some experience.

“Unbelievably, we weren’t as bad as you’d think with a 10-0 scoreline. We’re looking at getting some better and more experienced players in, then, hopefully, things will start to change.”

Clymping are at Storrington in the John O’Hara Cup second round on Saturday.

CLYMPING: Challen; Jarrett, Lawton, Johnson, Palmer; Lee, James, Moore, Joe Atkins; T.Rudd, Cole. Subs: M.Rudd (James 40), Cooke (T.Rudd 50), Higgs (Lee 57).