SHOWING courage and a sense of responsibility beyond his 18-years, Liam Castle admitted he was at fault for Basingstoke Town's defeat at Thurrock.
The teenage goalkeeper was making only his third senior appearance this season between the posts, because of Rob Bullivant's absence due to the shoulder injury sustained against Weymouth on Tuesday.
And Castle said: "I made three mistakes and when you're a goalkeeper, mistakes lead to goals, so three of their goals were down to me.
"I am very disappointed and gutted to have let the lads and fans down. I can only apologise to them and hope I will learn from it and become a better player."
His manager Ernie Howe expressed his forthright views in the dressing room to the former youth team stopper.
And he was impressed to see the youngster publicly acknowledge his failings.
"To do it shows that Liam has the right sort of character and attitude," said Howe, who added that the lack of a recognised number two goalkeeper is a cause for concern.
He went on: "The goals against column in the last two games is seven goals. That tells its own story.
"Most were preventable but we've given them away through mistakes and you cannot do that and expect to get results.
"Something needs to be done. I don't know how much longer Rob will be out for, so with the extra money I have got for players, I might have to go and get another 'keeper this week."
The Town boss was especially frustrated that individual errors had contributed to defeat because he felt his players were unlucky overall to find themselves 2-1 down at half-time and on the end of a 4-1 scoreline.
"It was a bit like the Lewes game. I thought we had done well for the first 25 minutes and were running the game, but a couple of mistakes happen and we're losing. They were poor goals from our point of view, to concede."
Ship Lane is never a happy hunting ground for Howe's men and, with the current crippling injury list, allied to a light squad, Saturday's match was always likely to be tough for the troubled Camrose Blues ranks.
However, with the additions of 22-year-old midfielder Ben Surey, signed from Gravesend on loan for a month, plus 19-year-old Swindon Town youth striker Ashan Holgate, they started brightly.
Holgate was lively, linking up well and shooting on sight of goal, but against the run of play, Thurrock went ahead on eight minutes with route-one football.
The ball found its way out to Garry Cross courtesy of Richard Goddard's header. In acres of room, Cross controlled and, with Castle out of position, the left-winger calmly fired low into the bottom left corner.
Castle's day of woe had started but Town hit back with some good attacks. After Holgate's pull-back, James Taylor came closest to equalising, his right foot shot on 23 minutes forcing a superb one-handed tip over from Glenn Knight.
An inch to the left and Taylor would've broken his duck but the 31-year-old was involved again in the move leading to the 26th minute equaliser.
Well-worked play down the right incorporating Wayne Heath and David Ray came before a lay-off to Taylor, saw the striker turn on the edge of the box and fire a crisp left foot shot goalwards.
Knight was forced into a scrambling save to his left but Holgate reacted to the rebound and fired inside the post.
Thurrock went back in front five minutes later when Steve Harper beat the offside trap to chase a long ball down the right flank.
Charging out to meet it, Castle was late getting there and Harper rounded him before producing a finish of aplomb at a tight angle, scoring with his lob into the far corner of the net.
Buoyed by their fortune, Thurrock resorted to type. Physically strong, there were many fouls that went on and which were appallingly ignored by inept referee Rob Whitton.
Bristow was blatantly elbowed three times in separate incidents by Goddard, the final incident on 43 minutes resulting in Goddard breaking the Town captain's nose.
Again, Whitton did nothing and Town lost their influential defender as Goddard fled the scene while Lewis Cook and Paterson protested to the referee.
Howe said: "The referee didn't help to protect my players at all. He wouldn't listen and some of his decisions, or rather those he didn't make, were unbelievable. You just cannot legislate for it."
And the afternoon got worse when Thurrock added two more goals, in the 56th and 62nd minutes.
The former was the softest of goals. A free-kick from inside their own half was pumped 60 yards forward by Thurrock's Mark Goodfellow.
Calling for it, Castle lost the ball in the sunlight and it gave Jimmy McFarlane the easiest of headers - a little skim off the top - into an unguarded net past the stranded, goalie.
Then, to rub salt in the wound, Goddard collected a midfield through-ball, out-muscled Steve Hemmings and, from just inside the edge of the area, tapped past Castle.
To their credit, Town never gave up and 17-year-old sub Ben Wright was unlucky to see a right-foot shot hit the post in injury time. |
