BARTESTREE’S poor start to the season continued last Saturday as they were thumped 5-0 at home by Shropshire side Hanwood United.

Both sides went into this game without a win this season in West Midlands Division One but the villagers from Herefordshire were on the end of a shock reverse.

Chris Haynes, manager, said: “We looked at what we were going to do and thought about what we were going to do and how it’s ended up is devastating.

“We have been going through a period of change which I thought we had dealt with but obviously today it has had an effect.

“We’ve lost a lot of key players but it’s not about today really, it’s about moving forward and what we put in place to move forward but it doesn’t happen overnight.”

Hanwood could have had the lead in the fourth minute when Bartestree goalkeeper Rauri Wargent’s clearance was charged down by striker Ben Houlston and looped just over the bar.

The visitors did take the lead on 31 minutes when a mistake by Mark Avery allowed Houlston score before the same player, who went on to score a hat-trick, netted again on 39 minutes.

“They were a lot stronger physically, I think we were bullied off the ball - that’s the long and short of it”, said manager Haynes.

“We lost individual battles and we then we got involved in silliness with the referee.”

On 68 minutes, with the score at 3-0, Bartestree central defender Dean Corbett got sent off for the second of two yellow cards, which Haynes felt was harsh.

“I’ll defend Dean all the way, I heard every comment and I support exactly what he said, he actually said ‘are you joking?’ it was an open question.

“Twenty seconds before he nearly had his legs broken in a two-footed challenge, but that’s the level of football we’re playing at.”

The visitors went on to add two more goals late on to complete the rout.

Haynes said: “My job is to focus on keeping the team together and building on what we have and getting the morale back.

“We knew they were going to be a physical side before they turned up but whether or not we’ve not got the players who want to play like that I don’t know.”

He added that over the summer they have lost “five or six” key players from the side that finished third last season.

“We set out with the mentality and ambition to be promoted," he said.

“We got so close last season and those were the goals set by the previous manager.

“I’d like to think we would be top half of the table this season, we are not good enough at this stage to be thinking about promotion.”

The villagers had Tom Harding and Mark Cooper suspended for this game and will now be without Corbett going into this weekend’s game at home to Penncroft.

Haynes said: “Providing we have a good week this week and train hard we can do well.

“I think this game will liven us up, the whole dressing room is in shock – no-one saw this happening today.

“Everyone was expecting us to pick up our first three points in this game but we’ll be ready next week.”