Chris Lynch has told Sittingbourne players to stand up and be counted.

The Brickies suffered their ninth successive Isthmian South East defeat last night, losing 3-0 at home to Sevenoaks.

Three days earlier they went down 2-1 to a Herne Bay side who had Dan Carrington sent off and played for an hour with defender Laurence Harvey in goal.

Harvey also saved a Johan-Caney Bryan penalty while the Brickies were only 1-0 down.

Boss Lynch, speaking before the Sevenoaks game, can only defend his players for so long.

He said: “This has been the story of the last two months – we’re just not scoring enough goals.

“I read things on social media saying Sittingbourne have got some of the best strikers in the league and, yes, I think we have, but we’re just not scoring.

“I always try to protect the players and take full responsibility as the manager but, ultimately, when people are getting paid and not doing their job, it’s very difficult to keep going down the same line.

“We all have to take stock. From my side of business, am I getting the tactics right?

“Have I selected the strongest possible team in light of all the injuries we’ve got?

“If not, that’s on me, but if I’m putting out a strong team week in, week out, one that I maintain is still good enough for the play-offs, then there’s little I can do.

“We’ve got good players but they can’t find the net.

“If our attacking record matched our defensive record we’d be in the play-offs.

“It’s time for the players to stand up and be counted and show me what they’ve got.

“That’s the challenge. It’s no good talking about it, they’ve got to produce.

“If we’re playing against 10 men, with an injured outfield player in goal, and the only time we test him is when we score, the players have got to take responsibility for that.

“As a former player myself, the first thing you’re thinking is, ‘I was an attacker, you’ve got a defender in goal, test him every time you get an opportunity’ and we haven’t.

“If we don’t start putting the ball in the net on a consistent basis, we aren’t going to win games.”

Sittingbourne host Chichester this Saturday.

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