GALLERY: Winless, luckless and injury-hit - but Bright vows Chatteris Town will rise again
THEY are winless, luckless and still hurting from a last-gasp penalty defeat, but chairman Steve Bright has insisted that Chatteris Town will rise again.
The Lilies suffered their seventh consecutive loss on Saturday as fellow strugglers Waterbeach snatched a 5-4 win at West Street.
The defeat leaves them rooted to the bottom of the Kershaw Premier League on just three points, with 43 goals conceded in their 11 games.
But there are signs of a revival.
Bright said the players had rediscovered their fighting spirit and the club recorded Saturday’s attendance as 110 - more than most games in the Thurlow Nunn First Division.
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“It shows that people in the town do care about this club,” said Bright, who took joint control of the first team with Leigh Matthews in August.
“It’s encouraging and we’ll move on from this. Every club goes through difficult times.
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“If I have anything to do with it, Chatteris Town Football Club will keep going and we’ll get stronger.”
The Lilies led three times in Saturday’s heartbreaking defeat, with a Dean Joyce hat-trick and a goal from Alex Ashley.
But a late penalty from the visitors robbed them of a point and their misery was compounded by a serious injury to teenage full back Karl Anderson, who fractured his ankle and a metatarsal.
Bright said: “I must admit I didn’t have a very good Saturday night after that. We were all upset for Karl because he’s been one of our best players this season.
“A draw would have been a fair result and I was devastated afterwards. I’m going grey as it is without last-minute penalties!
“I can’t fault the boys’ effort. They put up a real fight.”
Bright said stand-in skipper Richie Allen and newly-signed Spanish teenager Carlos Castellas were particularly impressive.
Both will need to be at their best if Chatteris are to get anything out of tomorrow’s clash with third-placed Foxton.
