Moneyfields’ ‘soul searching’ in vain as they suffer shock home Wessex League defeat to relegation threatened Hythe & Dibden

Tyler Moret celebrates his leveller against Hythe - but within minutes Moneyfields were trailing again. Picture: Dave Bodymore.

Moneys were beaten 3-1 at Dover Road by a Hythe & Dibden side second bottom of the table and collecting only their third win in 30 league fixtures.

It was Moneys’ fifth home league defeat of the season and their most embarrassing against a club they thrashed 6-0 at home earlier in the campaign.

For Turnbull, it completed a miserable week of football results with all his favourite teams losing.

‘On Monday it was Pompey, Tuesday it was us (conceding in the last minute to draw 3-3 at US Portsmouth), Wednesday it was (Glasgow) Rangers, Friday it was Man United and now this,’ he remarked. ‘I’ve had to go out and buy a new car to cheer myself up!’

‘We had done a lot of soul searching, that pretty much dominated training on Thursday. We talked a lot about having pride in the team, trying to keep a clean sheet.

‘Blow me, two minutes in (against Hythe) and we were 1-0 down.’

Tyler Moret levelled just before half-time, but there was still time left for Hythe to retake the lead.

Turnbull changed the shape early in the second half, reverting to four at the back.

But he remarked: ‘We looked a bit tighter but didn’t create anything.

‘The one thing we’ve done this season is we’ve always looked like scoring goals, but it just didn’t happen in the second half, it just petered out.

‘I don’t know whether subliminally some players have switched off for the league season, but that’s not what I want to see.

‘I’ve tried (throwing) tea cups, I’ve tried turning over tables in the dressing room, I’ve tried sitting down and talking to them. Nothing’s working at the moment.

‘Hutch (captain Steve Hutchings, currently injured) was in the changing room on Saturday and he offered some of the ferocious b********** as I’ve done.

‘It doesn’t help when you’re without your most influential player, but we’ve got enough quality in the dressing room to be winning these games.

‘I felt sorry for the two subs who didn’t get on, Adam Cripps and young Rafferty (Boyd-Kerr). I apologised to them that they didn’t get the chance to contribute.

Turnbull added: ‘Players aren’t playing badly, there’s just patches that really iffy at the moment.

‘Take the first goal (v Hythe) - Callum McGeorge let a cross go through his hands. You can’t legislate for that. That’s not down to lack of prep or lack of training, he’s just failed to catch a cross.

‘We just need to keep trusting each other and get back to basics.

‘I’m still really happy with the group - I feel we’re really close to being a good side, we just need to eradicate the silly mistakes.

‘I’d settle for a couple of ugly 1-0 or 2-0 wins at the moment.’

Moneys are back in action on Tuesday at home to two tiers lower Hayling United in the quarter finals of the Portsmouth Senior Cup. The winners face Hayling’s Hampshire Premier League top flight rivals Locks Heath at Cams Alders in the last four.