Southern We'll stick to our footballing principles, says Bluebells chairman

YATE Town chairman Mark Thorne insists the team will stick firmly by its “footballing principles” as they enter the cup arena for the first time this season tomorrow.

- Simon PARKINSON

The Bluebells cast to one side a challenging start to their Southern League Premier South programme when they visit familiar old Division One South foes Westbury United for an FA Cup first round qualifying affair.

It's been a testing time for Darren Mullings’ promoted team, with Monday's “hugely frustrating” 3-1 defeat by Hungerford Town in Berkshire their third from three on the road so far, while two points have been pinned to the early board courtesy of goalless home draws with Sholing and Chertsey.

Yate pair Chris Zebroski and Dan Dempsey also face suspensions after being dismissed in the dying embers with straight red and second yellow cards, respectively, at Hungerford to compound a long list of absentees that has done little to help the ambitious South Gloucestershire club's cause.

Mullings and his club comrades always knew they'd need to adapt quickly to a step 3 league renowned much for its direct and physical approach to its football.

Thorne remarked: “Hungerford are one of those robust outfits that aren’t uncommon at this level, as we saw there on Monday.

“It all went wrong for us in the second half after we'd played them off the park to go into the break leading by James Taylor's goal, and an excellent team one and finish it was too.

“The officials, in my opinion, spoilt, for the 500 people there, what had been a very good game of football once Hungerford scored early to make it 1-1.

“It was the inconsistency of decision-making which was so frustrating, such as allowing reckless two-footed challenges to go unpunished while booking players, and there were lots of them, for slight altercations.