CHIPPENHAM TOWN: Believe in us, urges Phillips
2:30pm Friday 1st March 2013 in Sport By Dan Barnes
Chippenham Town's Lee Phillips
CHIPPENHAM Town’s Lee Phillips is backing the Bluebirds management’s vision for the future and wants fans to do the same.
Phillips netted twice as Nathan Rudge’s side came back to draw at Bedworth United last Saturday and also got on the scoresheet in Tuesday night’s defeat at Bashley.
Chippenham are 16th in the Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division and striker Phillips thinks that the first step to his side finishing the season on a high will be to get their challenges right at the back.
“I think all the lads would say that I’m a big character in the changing room and I want to win games but foremost, I want Rudgey and Feyer (Richard Fey) to do well,” said Phillips.
“They’re great lads and it’s their first season in management. They’re building a side and fans and everyone else have got to be patient with them because, from what they’re telling me, they’re building something very good for the future.
“At the minute, we’re conceding a lot of goals from silly free-kicks in stupid positions in our own half.
“Rudgey and Feyer are working on it every week in training and I’m sure they’ll get it sorted for next season as well.
“We’ve got to take heart from the way we played in the second half (against Bedworth) and when we play to our strengths we are unstoppable.
“We’re always going to score goals and we’ve just got to stop leaking silly ones.
“We’re a very good side and we’ve got some very good players but, for some reason, we haven’t been gelling but when we do, we’re a team to watch out for.”
The Bluebirds suffered their 13th loss of the season on Tuesday night as they were unable to claw back a two-goal deficit in the New Forest.
Alan Griffin tested Bashley keeper Stuart Moore early on with a header but, with nine minutes on the clock, James Stokoe cut the ball back for Mark Gamble to fire the hosts in front.
Bashley then went 2-0 up with just a quarter of an hour gone when a team move involving Gamble, Brad Strickland and Charlie Knight ended with Stokoe blasting into the roof of the net.
Chippenham pulled a goal back when Griffin flicked on a long ball and Phillips smartly found space to reduce the deficit but the Bluebirds couldn’t find an equaliser, with Scott Lye and Ashley Williams going close.
