Hornchurch look to end six-game losing run

Hornchurch manager Jimmy McFarlane is refusing to panic, despite his side’s ongoing struggles.

Urchins suffered a last-gasp defeat against Bishop’s Stortford in the FA Trophy last weekend, making it six losses in a row.

And they face Conference South rivals Eastleigh at Bridge Avenue today (Saturday), without three of their leading men.

But McFarlane said: “I’m not a panicking person. I do think a lot about football, but every game is pressure.

“If you’re comfortably in mid-table, there’s no pressure, but we’re not. The next dozen games are important.

“We got what we deserved at Bath, were slightly better at Truro with a few signs in patches.

“We looked like we were just getting back on track with last weekend’s performance and now we lose three key players to ridiculous suspensions.”

Midfielder Frankie Curley and strikers Martin Tuohy and Lewis Smith will all sit out one-game bans for collecting five bookings.

And McFarlane could not hide his disappointment at the ill-discipline.

He added: “Frankie has to make tackles and sometimes they are fouls, but to get bookings for verbals...

“We all get frustrated. There’s never a good time to have suspensions, but they happened at important times last season and cost us at times.”

Leon McKenzie maintained his good form with a fifth goal of the campaign against Stortford and is set to be partnered by Wayne Gray tomorrow.

McFarlane added: “It’s his chance. What Leon does, he does it all correctly. He asks what he needs to do, he doesn’t sulk and the longer he is in the side, the better for me at the moment.

“The boys are in the same frame of mind as me. The mood is good in training, we don’t look like a side who is struggling at the moment, we’re quite positive.

“The first thing is not to lose. If we can keep a clean sheet, we’re guaranteed a point. And with Leon and Wayne, there’s always a chance of nicking a goal.”