Whitchurch United 3

Blackfield & Langley 5

WHITCHURCH scored their first goals in seven games but manager Howard Goddard is planning to bring in two new strikers within the next few weeks- including his 20-year-old son Nicholas, a former Wales schoolboy international.

Goddard's son has been out of the game for a year due to an ankle ligament injury but he played for Wales Under-14's and Under-15's and was also at the Welsh School of Excellence.

"I know he's my son and some may say that could prove difficult for me but he a quality player and I think he'll do a good job for me," he said.

Goddard Jnr, who lives in Newport, will not be available for the midweek games due to travelling problems but will be able to play on a Saturday and Goddard Snr revealed hopes to have him playing by the end of the year.

Also returning to Whitchurch is their former striker Paul Clarkson.

A proven goalscorer in the JWL having previously played for Thatcham and Andover, Clarkson is also not likely to feature until the end of the year.

"I was only told last week that he was returning to the club but he's a proven scorer at this level and we need someone with his kind of experience," said the Whitchurch boss. Whitchurch had another former Old Boyreturning with Steve McNulty partnering Paul O'Riordan in midfield and also had youngster Marc Rees making his debut wide on the right.

Goddard however is still seeking his first win since taking over as manager but got some positives out of last Saturday's home defeat by a Blackfield & Langley side that has now scored 12 goals in their last three games. "Seven of those goals came against side that are expected to finish in the top five," Goddard.

He added he couldn't believe that they managed to score three goals themselves having not found the net in their last six games but they threw away what chance they had with some schoolboy defending.

"To be honest," he added, "when people see that score line 5-3 sounds a bit flattering but at 4-3 they scored four goals from set pieces, which is absolutely diabolical.

"It was kids stuff; schoolboy defending ; call it what you will but it was just not good enough. What makes it worse is that we had defended well in our last four games," he said.

Goddard was particularly unhappy at conceding a third goal in first-half stoppage time.

A goal down after 20 minutes after a bad mistake in defence, Whitchurch fell further behind five minute before the break but got a goal back right on the stroke of half time through Adam Thomas. "But instead of going in at 2-1 down we give away a free kick in stoppage time and we're 3-1 down at the break, and you're team talk changes yet again" he added. "It's just poor discipline."

Blackfield went further ahead in the second half from the penalty spot but Whitchurch rallied and Goddard thought he might have a heart attack as they hauled themselves back into the game with two goals from Neil Butler, included a great header for the third.

It looked as though Whitchurch might salvage something from the game and they pushed on looking for an equaliser but were undone by Blackfield's route one style with them breaking away to notch a fifth goal.

"Once they got the fifth goal it was game over but I've got to believe that I'm going about things in the right way, it's no good making wholesale changes," he said.

"I've got believe in my own ability and that I can turn things around.

"Losing four on the bounce doesn't worry me, I've got faith in my own ability, but as I've said before that's it's not likely to happen overnight, but if you don't score goals you're going to struggle."

Whitchurch (4-4-2): Loddon, Shaughnessy, Robinson, Knight; Rees, O'Riordan, McNulty, Caswell; Thomas, Kearney. Subs: Butler (for Kearney at half time); Nurse (for Thomas at half time); Cooper (for Rees 75 mins).