Hayling United boss Bishop determined to rid his side of the ‘horrible reputation’ they have picked up

The Humbugs have endured a tough few weeks, on and off the pitch.

On it, they have lost five of their last six matches, including Hampshire Premier League and Hampshire Trophy defeats. And off it, assistant manager Dan Greenwood left in the wake of Saturday’s 3-2 league loss to table-topping Moneyfields Reserves at Front Lawn.

Four players have also departed – top scorer George Gregory, Dan Clasby, Josh Watts and keeper Joe Boxall.

Gregory decided to leave in the wake of being benched for the recent 1-0 league win at Fleetlands. He was again a sub against Moneyfields, coming on to bag both of Hayling’s consolations and taking his seasonal tally to 13 as a result.

Greenwood has subsequently taken up a role alongside Chris Blakeman at Fleetlands, and it could be that some of those players who have just left Hayling will follow him to Lederle Lane.

Bishop has brought former Humbugs player Dan Mortimer, who had been at Clanfield, back to the club as his new assistant. He will be in the dugout for Tuesday’s Portsmouth Senior Cup tie at US Portsmouth Reserves (7.45pm).

Former Fareham and Infinity keeper Barney Conaghan will be between the sticks at HMS Temeraire with the winners progressing to a quarter-final tie with holders Moneyfields.

Former Horndean coach Pete Hamilton has also come on board and will be taking midweek training sessions.

‘Dan and Pete will be two big assets,’ said Bishop. ‘Hopefully we will start getting a reputation again for playing good football rather than a bunch of players who are great at winding people up.

‘We’ve got a horrible reputation - our disciplinary record is shocking.

‘We want to do things the right way. We’ve lost that, but we want to get it back.’

Regarding the players who have left, the manager added: ‘I wish them the very best – there’s no hard feelings on my part.

Bishop said the ‘attitude was good’ as Hayling hit back from 0-2 down to level against Moneyfields before Dec Seiden grabbed a winner.

Seiden was only playing due to Moneyfields’ Wessex League game against Amesbury being called off late on.

Hayling certainly haven’t had much luck with facing higher division strikers this season.

Clayd Roach, who had a spell with AFC Portchester recently before signing for Hamble Club, struck five goals in two HPL games against them while playing for Sway.

Roach netted twice in Sway’s 8-5 win in the New Forest and added a hat-trick in a 7-2 romp at Hayling last month. Roach was also on target when Sway knocked the Humbugs out of the HPL Cup by a 4-0 margin.

Bishop, meanwhile, said he ‘would love to see’ defender Ben Metherall return to the club.

Metherell joined Horndean last summer after impressing for Hayling in the previous two pandemic-hit campaigns.

The move didn’t work out, though, and the right wing-back returned, briefly, to play a handful of games in October.

‘He seems to prefer playing golf now, which is a big shame,’ remarked Bishop. ‘The boy is class, I’d love to see him back. If he was to get his love of the game back, he’d be playing two or three leagues above where we are.’

Defender Liam Buxton has returned to Hayling after a spell at HPL Senior rivals Clanfield.