BELEAGUERED boss Paul Gazzard admitted the end of Bashley’s annus horribilis could not come quick enough and that he was considering his future at the club.

Having spent more than 10 years with Bash as a player, coach and assistant manager, Gazzard’s first season in the hot seat has been beset by crippling financial crises which have led to uncertainty over the New Forest outfit’s existence.

Chairman Mike Cranidge, who saw a resolution to fold the club passed at an extraordinary general meeting last month, has since announced that the club would continue to compete in the Southern League next season.

But on the eve of their final game of this campaign at Redditch United on Saturday (3pm), joint-manager Gazzard revealed it could mark his last stand.

Gazzard told the Daily Echo: “I will take the summer to think about my future. If there are some positive signs then I may stay on, whether that’s as manager or in a coaching capacity, whatever the club wants me to do, but the situation has to be right.

“There is no way I can go through another season like this one and if I don’t stay on then that will be my lot in football. John (Pyatt, joint manager) has been working very hard to help the club and I will have to sit down with him to see which direction we take.”

On the season ending, he added: “It will be a relief. It has been a real battle in recent weeks and while I never thought I would say this, I will be happy to get to the end.

“I have tried to stay positive but losing at home to Totton was a real killer for us. Until then, we had a real chance of finishing third bottom but once that possibility went, things became flat and it has been a slog ever since.”

Jason Brookes and Sam Roberts return after being unavailable for Monday’s 5-0 defeat at Poole Town but injured duo Brad Morris and Lewis Blackmore remain sidelined.

Bash: (from) George, Rolls, Ansell, Gazzard, Marden, Flint, Manders, Strickland, Joyce, Odam, Brookes, Roberts, Kenna.