United boss: This can’t go on

The U’s have lost all four of their matches since the former Lewes assistant boss replaced Tony Dolby as manager last month and have slipped into the Ryman Football League Premier Division relegation zone.

Hopkinson said: “If it doesn’t change quickly, then I’ll be changing the playing staff quickly. We’re in an awful position in the league and it’s got to that time where I can’t keep letting results go on as they are.”

A number of senior players left the club during the upheaval that followed Dolby’s departure and Hopkinson has since brought in a whole team’s worth of new young players.

But he was disappointed with the nature of the 2-0 defeat away to a Croydon Athletic side which went into Wednesday night’s game propping up the division.

“Young players are going to make mistakes,” Hopkinson continued, “but what I’m not going to have is young players who are frightened to make mistakes. A couple of them made mistakes early on and then hid, and you can’t have that.

“I don’t mind losing, but rolling over and having your tummy tickled with players who don’t want to accept responsibility is very poor. I had a pop at two or three players in particular at half time.”

The full article will appear in tomorrow’s Hastings Observer.