MANAGER Paul Britton has put in seven day notices on a handful of player targets as Yate Town stumble through the opening fortnight of the new Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South and West season.

And stalwart striker Darren Edwards, who was the club’s interim player-manager between the resignation of ex-boss Craig Laird in March and Britton’s appointment in April, has left Lodge Road.

Yate have lost three out of four of their league games so far, and were given another hard evening on Tuesday when they went down 4-0 at Tiverton Town, coming just days after losing 2-1 at home to local rivals Slimbridge.

Against Slimbridge, Yate were ineffective in front of goal and leaked two goals they should not have, leaving Britton to say: “Defensively, we must do better. In the top third, we must do better. In the middle third, the energy levels were not high enough.

“It was really disappointing. After the first two games when we have performed well and looked half-decent, today we didn’t and Slimbridge were better than us all over the pitch.

“We have created opportunities in every game so far and we have to start taking them. If we don’t start taking them, we will not win football matches. On saying that, we cannot concede sloppy goals as we did. They were two long balls over the top and we have not dealt with them.”

Unfortunately, it was more of the same at Tiverton. Britton said after that match: “We went down a little bit light (in playing numbers). They are a good side but we could easily have scored two goals. It was about us not taking our chances.

“The reaction is not quick enough to danger. The first goal they scored came after forty seconds. We kicked-off, passed the ball backwards and they scored. After that, we switched off.”

It did not help Yate’s cause that they lost Camen Harvey who had to be taken to hospital with a broken wrist.”

Yate drew their opening game a week last Saturday at Barnstaple, then lost 1-0 at home to Shortwood United the following Tuesday before their loss to Slimbridge and the Tiverton defeat.

Britton said results are about ‘continuity’ but he has taken action by looking to entice fresh faces to Lodge Road this week.

The manager added: “We have put out seven-day approaches for three or four players at the moment. There are a couple in defence and a midfielder”

Those are in addition to the new players Britton recruited during the summer after an exodus of the previous season’s squad.

And now Yate have lost one of their most experienced men in Edwards who has moved on due, said Britton, to his job.

He added: “I would like to thank Darren for the efforts he has put in since I arrived at the club. He has not decided where to go as he has a lot of work commitments at the moment but he wants to keep playing.”