Woodbridge Town chairman John Beecroft has admitted that the club will most likely have to take a step down to move forward in the long-run.

The Thurlow Nunn Premier Division basement side currently sit seven points adrift at the foot of the table and Beecroft himself has admitted that it would take a bit of a miracle for the managerless Woodpeckers to clamber out of the position they are in.

“It’ll be a full-on fight if we are to get out of where we are,” admitted Beecroft, who has overseen a turbulent season on and off the field at Notcutts Park.

“If we can get in with the likes of Wivenhoe, Ely and Thetford just above us then we might be able to survive but I think that will be a tall order.”

Woodbridge are currently the longest serving side in the division but depending on other club’s in the Thurlow Nunn League’s application status and achievements this season, the bottom side of the Premier division come the end of the season may well be relegated this year.

“If we come bottom and we have to go down then so be it,” said Beecroft.

“If that’s the case then I’m certain the group of players and management team, whoever that might be, will regroup, and you never know it could be a blessing in disguise for us.”

With barely any senior players now left at the club and with an average aged side of just 18, the season has certainly been a tough one to take for Beecroft.

“It’s been such a tough season for us all,” confirmed Beecroft.

“We’d hoped that most of last year’s players would come back and play for us but that hasn’t been the case.”

The Woodpeckers are currently without a permanent manager after previous boss Mark Scopes reluctantly resigned from his position in November due to the troubles the club have undoubtedly faced this season.

And as the club continue their search for a permanent replacement, caretaker duo Louis Newman and Sean Clemence continue to take temporary charge.

The pair have suffered little better than Scopes since stepping up but did manage to lead the team to a 2-1 victory over fellow strugglers Wivenhoe Town.

Should today’s game go ahead, Woodbridge are set to be up against it with a home tie against fourth-placed Gorleston.

“Gorleston are a very good side and with the inexperience we have and the situation we find ourselves in, it would be a big shock to upset them,” Beecroft said.

The fixture, at Woodbridge’s Notcutts Park, is subject to an early pitch inspection with the Woodpeckers’ home ground notoriously vulnerable to flooding.

“It’ll be an early call from us as that’s only fair on everyone who has to travel down from Gorleston,” confirmed Beecroft.

“We’re quite unfortunate that our pitch usually feels the effects of the rain heavily but we’ll just have to see how it goes.”

The Woodpeckers have already had to postpone a number of home games this season due to the state of the playing surface.