BROCKENHURST boss Graham Kemp wants his inconsistent Foresters to prove they are not "cheats" at Cowes Sports tomorrow.

Last Saturday's dismal 2-0 surrender at Christchurch was put into frightening perspective on Tuesday when Christchurch were pummelled 8-0 at Thatcham in the Wessex League Cup.

That and other rocky results this season suggest the Badgers must be a poor side - yet Kemp has at least four good reasons for arguing otherwise.

He said: "If you go back to us playing Lewes and Burgess Hill in the FA Cup and Andover and Wimborne in the league, we've beaten all those teams away from home and, if it wasn't for results like that, we'd really be in the mire.

"I think the players are cheating. To have played so well in 30 per cent of the games and do so poorly in the other 70 per cent proves to me that we are good enough, but we're not putting it in.

"I try to get them up for every match, but there's only so much a manager can do. Either they're up for it or they're not.

"I made light of it before at Christchurch and said I thought we'd beat them, but deep down I knew things weren't right. They were all very quiet in the dressing room and a bit vacant.

"I took the pre-match warm-up myself because I sensed the players weren't there, but if they don't want to do it, what can you do?

"Tomorrow we've got to get a ferry to Cowes and you'd think after all that effort of getting over there we'd be motivated to win. But I don't know what to expect. Will we have our Andover heads on or our Christchurch heads?

"So many teams this season have banged on our dressing room door and cheered after beating us and you'd think the players would be fed up with that by now. It certainly hurts me."

Kemp's said it before but, at 39, he genuinely feels the time has come to hang up his boots.

He said: "I'm here first and foremost as manager. I don't have an assistant and I'm needed in the dugout.

"The problem tomorrow is that Mark Isaacson's injured and Dominic Bryan's suspended, but when we've got all our centre halves fit and available again I won't need to play. I'll do what's best for the side."

Three players have left the Grigg Lane ranks - defender Ross Drew is moving to London, left-sided midfielder Matt Morris has joined Poole Borough and striker Lee Winsall has dropped back down to local football.

Kemp meanwhile has lodged notice of approach to Lymington & New Milton for goalkeeper Alan Walker-Harris, who has just signed Ryman forms for Salisbury, and to Ringwood for attacking midfielder Mark Burrett.