I am not going to accept players not giving their all - powder-puff Bognor blasted by boss

The heavy loss came after a 2-1 reverse at home to Potters Bar Town and demolished Nye Camp hopes of a lofty league position following their spell at the top of the pile after the first three games of the campaign.

Crucially, the Hornets grabbed a goal just before the break when Lucas Rodrigues netted and it seemed to disrupt the Rocks’ rhythm once the second half commenced.

The Bank Holiday sun shone but there was a gloomy air about Bognor as they struggled to cope with the home side’s intensity after a first half in which the visitors looked the better side.

Horsham v Rocks – in pictures by Tommy McMillan.

Horsham 4 Rocks 0 – how it unfolde d .

Jack Mazzone made it 2-0 on 57 minutes and it didn’t get easier for Blake’s charges when Sam De St Croix was sent off for what referee Michael Ryan deemed to be violent conduct five minutes later. Mazzone struck again for 3-0 on 71 minutes and Daniel Ajakaiye rubbed salt in to the wounds at the death for 4-0.

Blake, with an eye on team selection for Saturday’s FA Cup first qualifying round tie at home to Cray Wanderers, didn’t hold back in his summary of the proceedings.

He told Rocks Radio’s Peter Hood: “The performance was unacceptable and I have told the players that and reminded them that we have supporters who deserve better from their team. I want the players to show pride in wearing the shirt of Bognor Regis Town and to be aware of the standard we must reach.

“We were powder puff up front. There are too many players not grasping what it is to play for this football club. That’s not a knee-jerk reaction, that’s me saying it how it is. And I won’t accept it. There are some players who need to understand they must do a whole lot more.

“Horsham deserved to win the game, they were much the better team in the second half and we just seemed to compound our own miseries. I am not a manager who will accept it. I don’t want to be a manager who relies on players who are not good enough, it’s as simple as that.

“Yes, there were spells in the first half when we looked okay, but we didn’t have any devilment in us. We didn’t have the hunger in us not only to score a goal but to clatter the keeper and put him in the net. We need a bit more desire.

“When you’ve got really bad decisions going against you, it upsets the rhythm, it upsets everything and then when you are 2-0 down and your player gets sent off it just compounds everything. We have to dust ourselves down and make sure we come back stronger and I will make sure that happens.

“I am not going to accept players not giving their all and not knowing what it means is to play for this club. I’m quite happy to bring Danny Howick in, Tom Hollands in, Joe Briffa in, do you know why? Because they will wear the badge with pride. There were a few players out there who didn’t realise how important it is to play for this club. I won’t accept it and I will do something about it.”