A BITTERLY disappointed Steve Thompson labelled Dorchester Town’s opening day 1-0 defeat to Metropolitan Police as an “unacceptable performance”.

A sixth-minute Jack Mazzone goal ensured the Magpies began the new Evo-Stik Southern Premier South with a loss on the first competitive fixture on the Avenue’s new 3G pitch.

Dorchester had come into the game off the back of a 5-1 pre-season defeat to Winchester City, but the Magpies’ boss was distinctly unimpressed by what he felt was a “non-existent” attacking show.

He told Echosport: “That was an unacceptable performance, I can’t accept that. I know it’s early days, it’s only one game.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a wake-up call, because we’ve had our wake-up call at Winchester. I’ve worked very hard before and since the Winchester game to try and install in our defending what it needs to be.

“Although we’ve only conceded the one goal, our attacking play was non-existent.”

Continuing his assessment of the game, Thompson said: “It was a poor performance. Their keeper didn’t have a meaningful save to make until the 85th minute.

“I’m very disappointed with the performance and the result. I’ve let the players know that, obviously.

“Not many can come out with any credit from (Saturday’s) game. You’ve got to be at the races. As a footballer, you’ve got to make things happen.

“I’ve asked the five players that played in the most forward positions on the pitch, ‘have they had a shot?’

“All five said, ‘no’.

“Our two shots came from a sub that came on centre midfield and a left-back. That says it all.

“And it summed it up when we bring the keeper up for the last three corners of the second half and only actually get one in.

“That sums up what sort of day we’ve had, and the quality in going forward with possession has been awful.”

Asked whether he was worried for the season ahead, Thompson said: “If you don’t worry after a performance like that, then something’s wrong.

“It’s my job to try and put it right. I said to the players that if any of them are not up for it, they think it’s too much for them, come and see me and we’ll agree on what to do.”

He added: “Most players were involved. I’m not just talking about 11, I’m talking about 14 players, so that only leaves the goalkeeper, one sub and a few injured players.

“I don’t think there’s loads of options there. It’s early days, we’re young. I said before the game, ‘look at our front three’.

“It’s 18, 19 and 19 (years old). That hasn’t worked at all well.”

Despite feeling that positives were hard to come by, Thompson did praise his defensive unit.

He said: “The Winchester game we were defensively horrific. If there’s one crumb of comfort it’s the fact that we looked a bit more solid at the back.

“Not many can come out with any credit from (Saturday’s) game. Trying to find some positives is difficult. If anything, we did look relatively solid in the second half at the back.

“I thought Billy Lowes kept going and probably was the only player out of the back four that actually managed to have a decent game. Otherwise, I felt going forward we lacked loads.”