MANAGER Mark Scott declared himself proud of his Thetford Town team following their exit from the Norfolk Senior Cup at the hands of King’s Lynn.

A hat-trick by Jason Turner took the Linnets through to the quarter-finals after Thetford had held their Northern Premier League visitors until the last minute of the first half.

But Scott, after a week spent trying to fill gaps in his squad following the defection of five senior player, had nothing but praise for the way his team performed in last Thursday’s 3-0 home defeat.

“I’m proud of my players’ efforts,” he declared. “In the first-half we showed we can compete and we were very competitive. The goal on the stroke of half-time was a poor one to concede, which was really disappointing.

“You go in at 0-0, against Lynn, and we can say ‘we’re still in the game, let’s go out second half and keep it tight’. Maybe we could have gone out there, nicked a draw and got a replay and earned a few quid that we desperately need.

“But to go in 1-0 down meant our heads just dropped a little bit and it was hard to pick the lads up in the second half.

“Obviously, in the last 45, there fitness levels and quality came through and when we conceded the second it was a long way back.”

Scott conceded that the recent loss of players had badly restricted his options when Thetford needed to chase the game.

“No disrespect to my own squad, but I didn’t really have a bench to change anything and that’s due to the fact that I’ve lost five key players in four weeks,” he said. “It’s difficult.

“We’re looking to try and bring a few players in to help but realistically we knew we were up against it and I thought we had spells where we played some decent football. All in all, I’m pleased for the lads that they put in a good performance.

Scott admits to having been deflated by the recent turn of events, saying: “During pre-season everything looked great. Then three weeks before the season, we lost the spine of the team.

“Then here we are now, trying to be competitive, and we’ve lost another five, so it’s very, very difficult.

“It’s taught me a lot about players – that commitment and loyalty at this level doesn’t really exist anymore.

“I need to encourage the lads that are here. They’re all decent players but it’s hard for them to remain positive when a team-mate leaves them.

“But we’ve got to keep our heads up, keep going, and say to those that are here that they are all valuable assets.

“I need them here, and I need them to stick with me for the rest of the season.”

On Saturday Town play Gorleston in the Premier Division (3pm kick off).