STONHAM Aspal go into their Metaltec SIL Senior Division match at Leiston St Margarets tomorrow with manager Nigel Stiff saying his side badly needs a win.

Elvin King

STONHAM Aspal go into their Metaltec SIL Senior Division match at Leiston St Margarets tomorrow with manager Nigel Stiff saying his side badly needs a win.

They are bottom of the table with just five points from 12 games, and no victories.

“We need a win sooner rather than later,” said Stiff, who runs the Stonham side jointly with Steve Martin.

“It is hard to know what to do.

“We have been hit by injuries, which has not helped. But we cannot keep clean sheets and cannot get out of the habit of failing to win.

“Last season we enjoyed a good campaign after promotion back into the top flight.

“We defended well, but this term we have been unable to do that and it has got to us.

“We were 3-0 up against St Johns and drew 3-3 and we were 3-1 up against Leiston St Margarets in the home game and drew 3-3.

“These two results in particular have had a knock-on effect.”

On the eve of the season, Stonham lost a couple of players, and Stiff says that they have been unable to cover for that.

They have signed Ross Harvey from Stowupland and have two seven-day approaches in, but it will be a similar side that travels to Leiston tomorrow.

But Stiff knows that it is not the end of the world if they are unable to mount a revival and retain their valued top flight status.

“It is much more enjoyable when you are winning and we have won the First Division title in 2005 and 2007,” added Stiff.

“So there is life after relegation from the Senior Division, but on the other hand the facilities are not the same and you miss neutral linesmen with respect to club officials who run the line at junior level.”

Coplestonians are the other side in most trouble with a long run of odd-goal defeats behind them. Manager Garry Bartlett knows it will be tough at second-placed Crane Sports, but he also knows - like Stiff - that results must soon turn.

Two points then separate the next six clubs will all of them in danger if Stonham or Coplestonians suddenly hit form.

Grundisburgh can maintain their five-point lead at the top of the table with home success against Paul Buckingham's St Johns.