Michael Bett, 16, makes encouraging debut for Long Melford in defeat to Hadleigh United

Sixteen-year-old Michael Bett made an encouraging debut for Long Melford in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Hadleigh United, the one positive on a disappointing day for manager Jamie Bradbury, writes Ken Watkins.

Bett was added to the squad on Friday night as cover for Sam Mansfield, who suffered a back injury against Whitton United a week earlier. Mansfield ruled himself out on Saturday.

“We put in a 16-year-old goalkeeper, and he did really well,” said Bradbury. “They were two great goals. The first one we probably should have dealt with, in terms of getting tight to the man, and the second we just backed off. The ‘keeper couldn’t do anything about either. Other than that he’s dealt with everything and looked pretty assured.”

Josh Collins was Melford’s latest casualty, suffering neck and thigh injuries and coming off in the second half, but Bradbury refused to blame the defeat on the club’s long injury list.

“We should have had enough today to get a result, and I was confident in the side we put out. If I had put a side out today that wasn’t capable of winning, that would have been down to resources and injuries, but I put out a side that can win games.

“We didn’t seem to have that desire and hunger in the first half but we are in a relegation scrap and we have to fight for everything we get. I was disappointed with the application in the first half, and in the second half it was just huffing and puffing to no real purpose, hopeful rather than meaningful.

“We’ve got to dig in and show what we’re made of. It’s in our hands because we’re not in the bottom two. The result makes it more interesting for other teams, but a little more nervy for us. We have a tough game at Gorleston (Saturday, 3pm), and we’ve got to go there and win it.”