WOODBRIDGE Town manager Mark Scopes has admitted he does not know if his players will be paid again this season.

After seeing his side lose 3-1 at home to title-chasing Dereham Town on Saturday, Scopes revealed the club are suffering a “short-term cash flow problem” as a result of the recent bout of bad weather.

Chairman John Beecroft broke the news last week to Scopes, who said: “We have the lowest budget in the league and I have not spent half of this season’s budget, so it is disappointing and frustrating.

“But the chairman has been totally honest and I trust what he says that he can sort it out, if not this season but going forward next season.

“I called a meeting with the players on Wednesday night and told them they will not get paid this month, may not get paid next month and may not even get paid again this season.

“I felt very humbled that everyone wants to carry on playing until the end of the season. I feel the support the players have given me and Marty (assistant manager Marty Thorpe) is phenomenal.”

Scopes was not too despondent by his side’s defeat to Dereham, especially after failing behind in only the second minute.

“I was not too bothered about letting in an early goal. I would rather do that than let a goal in with two minutes to go as we did at Kirkley & Pakefield a fortnight ago.

“After conceding we then kicked on and played some good football, but we are struggling to score goals at the moment and we need to stop letting in soft goals.”

Dereham’s assistant manager Neal Simmons said: “If you score goals at the right time it makes it easier. We scored in the first minute of both halves and our second just before half-time changed the complexion of the game.

“It was the perfect time to score, and goals are going in at the right times for us at the moment and that’s what wins football matches.

“They like to play and keep the ball and we knew that and we could just sit in and soak up the pressure and hit them on the break after that.”