THINGS have got to start changing now if Dorchester Town are going to avoid the “unthinkable” that is relegation for the second season running, according to Stuart Heath.

One point from a possible 21 has left the Magpies in deep trouble in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division, with only Banbury United and Burnham below them in the league table.

And, speaking to Echosport after their latest setback, a 3-2 defeat by Chesham United on Saturday, assistant-manager Heath made the situation perfectly clear to all concerned.

“We are in massive trouble and everyone has got to realise that,” he said. “There has got to be an immediate turnaround.

“You’ve got teams fighting for their lives and if we don’t start picking up points we will get relegated.

“To get relegated two seasons running is unthinkable.

“If that happens then nobody can have any complaints if they are not required by the club at the end of the season.”

Commenting on the Chesham loss, he added: “We got into a position to pick up points and we haven’t done it, and that’s been the story of our season.

“Our preparations weren’t the best but we scored an early goal and, although we gave away a poor equaliser and rode our luck, we got through the first half playing against the conditions.

“But after looking like we could get something out of the game we didn’t because of our second half performance.

“Our distribution going forward was poor and we lost a game we could have drawn or won – it was another massive opportunity missed.”

Dorchester’s preparations for the game couldn’t have been much worse.

They ended up with only one outfield player on the substitutes’ bench after Dave Allen, Mason Walsh, Kieron Parrett and Nick Crittenden all pulled out on the morning of the match through illness or injury.

On top of that, Ben Watson, who it was thought would be able to play after joining from Bideford, was unable to take his place in the squad because not all of the paperwork had been completed in time.

“I don’t know whose fault it was that Ben wasn’t playing but it was a couple of hours before kick-off when we found out we didn’t have him,” said Heath.

“And we lost three or four players on the morning of the game, which was very disappointing.

“We didn’t have cover to cope with that and ended up with one outfield player on the bench.”