BOSS Frank Thompson has urged his East Bergholt United side to “stop feeling sorry” for themselves after their recent slump in form.

The Gandish Road club made a flying start to the season, winning their opening three Kingsley Healthcare SIL Senior Division fixtures and scoring 12 goals and conceding just one in the process.

Since then they have drawn twice and lost four times to slip to ninth place, their most recent reverse coming last Saturday 2-0 at home to newly-promoted Wickham Market.

Thompson admitted: “We have fallen by the wayside a little bit. We have had problems with injuries and a couple of sendings-off which haven’t helped us.

“The turning point came when we were beating Haughley United 2-0 and goalkeeper Des Burn was sent off. They scored from the resultant penalty and we ended up drawing 2-2.”

Bergholt have had to battle on without five injured players – Scott Fryer, James Maughton, Andrew Newman, Peter Johnson and Lewis Symes – in recent matches.

Thompson, who is now 65 and had two spells managing Clacton Town (1981-83 and 1986-89) and one at Brightlingsea (1992-98) in the Ridgeons League and said he still loves football, continued: “The rub of the green has gone against us recently, and we have been made to pay for not putting our chances away.

“On Saturday we had three or four good chances and didn’t take them before they scored. We then had Joel Watkins sent off after 25 minutes and they scored their second goal almost straightaway.

“In the second half we hit the post from a penalty, which had it gone in may have brought us back into the game.”

Despite their recent form Thompson remains upbeat about East Bergholt’s prospects this season.

“The good thing about it is if we get our act together, sooner or later, we can catch the pack. It is a very tight league and everyone is capable of beating each other. We need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and hopefully the tide will turn.”

East Bergholt entertain Felixstowe United tomorrow and Thompson, who also previously managed SIL sides Electric Supply and Stutton, added: “It will be another hard game. They are a strong side, but our players are good enough – we just need to keep playing football.”