BOSS Graham Kemp could wield the axe just three weeks into the season having described as “inept” Hamworthy United’s first-half showing against Alresford Town.

Hammers were held to a 0-0 draw despite dominating the second half at the County Ground with the visitors content to grind out a share of spoils.

Home substitute Liam Donachy was denied by a last-ditch block from Alresford’s Michael Byrne, while Ben Osborne skied a sitter with eight minutes to play and was denied a stoppage-time winner by a perfectly-timed sliding tackle from Joe Griggs.

But far from blaming hard luck, Kemp was quick to blast United’s slow start and warned that changes could be afoot in the coming weeks.

Kemp told the Daily Echo: “The first half performance was inept and we felt frustration at the end because we went on to create enough chances to win three or four games.

“Time ran away from us and that was our own fault. If you play for half a game then you get half a result and that’s all we deserved.

“I’m getting to the stage where I’ll be looking to freshen up the squad because we’re seven games in and the variation between the first and second half sums up how we’ve played all season.

“You would like to play a consistent XI but I have stressed to the boys that none of them have made the shirt their own. Until people stamp their authority you’re clutching at straws a little bit.”

Next up for Hamworthy is tomorrow’s trip to Bournemouth Poppies (3pm), who let an early lead slip in their 5-3 defeat at Petersfield Town yesterday.

Liam Jacobs scored with a deflected second-minute free kick but the hosts hit back to lead 3-1 at half-time.

Fawzi Saadi clawed one back for Poppies before Town bagged another two. Marc Fairbrother’s late strike proved a mere consolation.

Hammers: Ackerman, Walker (Donachy, h-t), Cole, Legg, Haysom, Yelland, Allen, Blackburn (Swann, 75), Osborne, Cook (Warren, 68), Price. Unused sub: Hester.

Poppies: Vaughan, Ayrton, Jacobs (Sullivan, 52), Burgis, Pearce, Saadi (Robinson, 73), Doe, Phillips, Pekun, Fairbrother, Toy (Dibigbo, 68). Unused subs: Cooper, Arthur.

  • Striker Dan Munday, dual-registered with Poole Town, opened the scoring for Verwood Town yesterday but Potters still succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Folland Sports.

Carl Poore’s men travel to Bemerton tomorrow (3pm).

Potters: Lynch, Evans, Buck, Molyneaux, Anderton, Gajic, Elysee (Foster, 60), Cousins, Munday, Fisk (Rutten, 80), Turner. Unused subs: Murray, Goddard, Collins (g/k).