BISHOP'S Stortford boss Paul Taylor pledged this week that his team would "roll its sleeves up" in a bid to lift the troubled side from rock bottom in the Ryman League premier division.

After a 3-1 defeat at Purfleet last Saturday, the Blues are now without a win from their first ten matches and have conceded 27 goals in the process.

"It was poor defending yet again [on Saturday] -- we're leaking goals left, right and centre. Everybody has got to have a look at themselves," Taylor said.

"The confidence has been drained out of us and we're not getting the rub of the green. We'll keep trying and all we can do is roll our sleeves up."

The Blues have lost five and drawn five but Taylor insists that they should have won four or five of the matches where they have only come away with a point.

The problems, he believes, are largely down to the fact that they are homeless at the moment after selling Rhodes Avenue towards the end of last season. The Blues currently play their home matches at Borehamwood and train wherever they can.

At present, they have nowhere to train on Tuesday nights, and on Thursdays Stortford use the facilities at Eppingsale where they are restricted to playing five-a-side on the tennis courts.

There have even been occasions when the players have been unable to train at all because no-one has been around to let them in. "It's difficult for players and everyone connected with the club until we get our own, solid base," said Taylor.

Taylor has the chance to take the players' minds off their league predicament when they entertain Aldershot Town in the second qualifying round of the AXA FA Cup this Sunday.

Referring to the 8-0 thrashing at the hands of the aptly nicknamed Shots three weeks ago, Taylor joked: "It's a case of boarding up the goal. We're going to try to play with three goalkeepers and eight defenders."

He added: "Nobody expects us to win, but we'll see. Funnier things have happened in football."

Against Purfleet, the Blues were poor and there were few plus points. However, a goal from Steve Flain, on his debut, was one of them. The left-sided midfielder struck an absolute beauty from 25 yards on the stroke of half-time.

Akin Goksel returned to the side which was depleted by injuries to Roy Edwards, Andre Delcon and Robbie Gammons.

Purfleet took the lead after six minutes when John Keeling's swirling cross was headed home by Robbie Garvey. Martin Carthy tucked home the second on 18 minutes after a cross from Martin Hayes. Carthy was unlucky when a long-range effort cannoned back off the bar, but Purfleet substitute Joe Odegbami lobbed Gavin King for the third 11 minutes from time to put the game beyond Taylor's men.

bishop's stortford: King, Smith (sub: Campbell, 72min), Goksel, Clark, Clifford, McCarthy (sub, Comerford, 62), Forbes, Greene, Conroy, Cooper, Flain (sub: Ikazoboh, 62).

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