Horncastle Town need to get their confidence back following Nettles defeat - Stones

Mickey Stones says it’s time for the Horncastle Town management team to go back to the drawing board.

Following Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat to Nettleham, Stones told The News that they needed to bring a bit of confidence back to the Wongers’ performances.

“I think we’re lacking a bit of confidence after conceding so many goals - that’s 11 in the last three games,” the joint-manager said.

“I think it’s up to the management team to figure out a way to stop conceding and get the confidence back.

“If we were winning 4-3 every week then fair enough, but that’s not happening at the moment.”

Jack Higginson, Adam Croft and Alvin Nurse were the Nettles’ matchwinners.

The result saw Town drop from first to fourth in the Lincs League, although they remain within three points of leaders Ruston Sports, who scored three late goals to end Skegness Town’s unbeaten campaign on Saturday.

The Wongers took to the field without central defenders Chris Johnson and Elliott Andrew, who were ill and suspended respectively.

With Luke Blondell unavailable and striker Michael Harness and keeper Lewis Burchnall turning out for the reserves as they return from injury, the Wongers were without five first-team regulars.

However, Stones said the squad still believed they would be able to get something from the game.

“We were really disappointed,” he added.

“We’re not quite sure what went wrong. It was a poor performance.

“We wanted to keep a clean sheet in the first half but we conceded late on.

“We spoke about starting well in the second half but we didn’t get going and were really poor.”

Town are without a fixture this weekend.