Bideford chairman Portch counts cost of FA Vase exit

BIDEFORD chairman Roy Portch has urged the team to put last week's FA Carlsberg Vase exit behind.

Portch hopes the Robins can have a successful season by challenging for honours in the Toolstation Premier Division and Les Phillips Cup.

But he admits the defeat against Welton Rovers was hard to take — for football and financial reasons.

Portch said: "I'm absolutely gutted about going out of the FA Vase but there you are, it happens.

"Let's be perfectly honest, we didn't deserve to win it.

"Welton came with a plan, they stifled the midfield and half our players were off colour.

"They know what it means to the club and to the supporters and I think it is just as important to them.

"When they came off the pitch at the end you could see they were just as disappointed as we were."

Defeat means Bideford head into the new year with no interest in the national competition for the first time since 2005/06.

"The problem now is there is no big money to be earned," added Portch.

"We earned £6,000 last year from the FA Vase which is a massive amount of money to our club. We have got exactly zilch this year.

"You can't budget for it. You've got to budget as though you're not going to win any games and if you do go on a run it's a bonus."

Although the Robins remain second in the league and can go top with their game in hand, Portch believes they have underachieved.

"Quite honestly, if anything it's a little bit disappointing," he said. "We should really be three or four points clear at the top. We lost 2-0 at Brislington, that was a shocker, and we drew twice with Willand. If we could have sneaked a win in one of those . . .

"We're still up there with a game in hand on Ilfracombe Town. They are the biggest surprise of the season for me. I don't think anyone expected them to be up there but then again they haven't really met any of the top clubs yet.

"Because it is a mainly Bristol-based league, I like to see all the North Devon sides do well. We're all good friends together. I know the supporters don't agree, but I don't like to see Barnstaple struggling." Portch is confident Bideford will bounce back against Chard Town in the Les Phillips Cup on Saturday, particularly after criticism from fans on the club's website after the Welton game.

"I expect the lads will be trying to prove something," he said.

"The supporters were not very kind to them on our forum, they got such a roasting, I think they'll be trying to prove a point."

Defender Dom Rivans is suspended for Bideford who will otherwise be at full strength.