GEOFF BUTLER'S job as Bashley boss is getting tougher by the day.
Lack of bodies cost the New Forest club dear on Saturday as they crashed 2-1 at home to a ten-man Dorking outfit described by Butler as: "abysmal - the worst I've seen."
To cap a depressing afternoon for the Foresters, they lost striker/ midfielder Danny Gibbons with a broken leg, ruling him out for the rest of the season, while Andy Culliford couldn't last the pace ahead of tomorrow's Gilmore's groin operation which will put him out of the equation for at least a month.
"It's a dire situation. The side's decimated," said Butler. "If there's a worse team in this league than Dorking, I haven't seen them, but we haven't got the bodies to compete.
"Chris Knowles should have come off at half-time with a hamstring problem but he managed to get through 90 minutes and we had no Matt Parnell at the back."
The only light at the end of the tunnel is that Bash have agreed with Eastleigh to loan teenage full-back Sam Wyeth for a month and take young, non-contract striker Barry Mason for the rest of the season after recent good displays for Wessex League outfit BAT.
Relegation-haunted Dorking had Dave Towse sent off on 37 minutes for handling Richard Gillespie's shot on the line.
Initially, it didn't look as if the ref would show him the red card and Butler admitted: "Dorking's bench got uptight with me because I shouted for him to get sent-off. But, I'm sorry, they're the rules of the game!"
After a lengthy delay, Dave Wakefield stepped up to the spot to fire Bash ahead, but the Foresters squandered chance after chance and, bafflingly, had a Dorking own goal disallowed for offside against Gillespie, who was not interfering with play.
Bash were punished by goals from Peter Maynard and Kevin Terry in the 69th and 86th minutes.
Newport striker Dave Greening got back into the scoring groove at St George's Park, but it wasn't quite enough to earn the third-to-bottom Islanders a precious win over Bromley.
A 60th-minute Tutu Henrigues goal sent the Kent club home with a point and Newport boss John Linington acknowledged: "Bromley are a good side.
"Being in the London area, they've got players on loan from clubs like Leyton Orient.
"Looking at their pen pictures, most of them have been pros or played at a decent level."
Newport seized a 41st-minute lead when Greening broke a four-game goal drought to net his 15th of the season from keeper Joe McCormack's long clearance.
"It was a great strike and, at half-time, we thought we'd win it, but then the wind took over in the second half," said Linington.
"Dave Greening could have got more in the first half, but on one occasion he went round the last defender, who then dived on the ball and the ref did nothing, and then there a clear penalty when he got thrown to the ground. But, again, nothing was given." Bromley could have snatched victory late on, but Danny Carroll's header shook the bar.
Wins for Molesey and Dorking ensured Fleet sank two places to 18th after a 3-2 defeat at Cray Wanderers.
Having fallen three down inside 63 minutes to goals by Phil Collins (2) and Danny Bower, Fleet set up a thrilling finale with late replies from Steve Riley and David Ocquaye, but it was in vain.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article