‘We’re not far off’ - mixed emotions for Blyth boss after debut defeat

The former Blyth Town boss took charge of his boyhood club for the first time last weekend, but there would be no fairytale debut as Spartans fell to their ninth league defeat of the season.

Two goals from Ben Hardcastle were enough to secure an important three points for the Blues, who have also started the season slowly and are only out of the relegation zone on goal difference.

Speaking post-match, Connor said: “The effort and desire from the players was superb, and I’ve just thanked them for that.

“On another day we’d be 4-1 up at half-time. They cleared two off the line and we hit the bar.

“When we got the equaliser, we thought we could push on. I’m disappointed, obviously with it being my first game here.

“As everybody knows, this club means so much to me. We go again, and we’re only one week into a [long-term] project.”

Saturday’s defeat leaves Blyth five points adrift at the foot of the Northern Premier League table.

Next weekend, Connor will be in the dugout at Croft Park for the first time as his side host Matlock Town in another big game towards the bottom of the division.

Connor’s arrival came after a turbulent few days at the club, with former manager David Stockdale sacked at the end of October after little over a month in charge following a confirmed takeover of the club - led by local businessman Martin Trinder.

While admitting that large swathes of Saturday’s performance felt like a step in the right direction, Connor admits that additions will be made to the squad to enable them to push on.

“It was a little bit doom and gloom at the club,” He added.

“But the positivity I saw [against Warrington Rylands] was good. The older lads and the younger ones are buying into the project, and it’s a starting point for the coming weeks.

“We know where we need to strengthen, and I truly believe that we will bring in players to beef this squad up and create a structure that will allow us to make an impact in this league.”