WOKINGHAM & Emmbrook manager Clive McNelly remains confident his side is capable of turning their fortunes around, writes Dave Wright.

The Sumas lost 4-2 to Rayners Lane at Lowther Road on Saturday after playing with 10 men for 51 minutes following a red card for defender Mike Flatman.

Their fourth game without a win leaves them third from bottom of the Hellenic Division 1 East with nine games remaining, seven of them being at home.

“I still think we will do OK okay and pick up points, but we need to start doing it as soon as possible as we haven’t been doing that recently,” said McNelly.

“We were a missing a lot of players today (Saturday) due to injury and holidays, and we will have them back soon and so I think we can finish the season on a high.”

With five reserves included in their squad, Sumas made a promising start against mid-table Rayners Lane and took an early lead when Tom Williams robbed a defender and hammered the ball home via the underside of the crossbar.

Williams should have had a second, but from right in front of goal he headed wide when picked out by Jack Gibbs.

The hosts also missed a couple of other chances, and as McNelly added: “We dominated the first 30 minutes and should have been two or three up.”

But the game turned in the 39th minute when Flatman, the last man, brought down Jamal Mattan just outside the area and was sent off.

To make matters worse for Sumas, Steve Coultas’s free-kick beat the wall to find the net for the equaliser.

With Wokingham taking a time to re-organise themselves, their goal had a couple of close escapes before half-time.

Jake Wheeler was not far away with a header for Sumas, but the visitors looked the most dangerous side and Denzil Emmanuel put them ahead in the 64th minute.

Following good work by Sam Whiting, Luke Gibbs almost immediately made it 2-2, but the third goal in as many minutes saw substitute Simon Fearon restore the visitors’ lead with Tyrone Godwyn putting the issue beyond doubt in the 73rd minute.

McNelly said: “The sending off killed us as a little bit.

“I’m disappointed with the result, but not by the lads’ attitude and their commitment.”

Sumas are home again this Saturday (2.15pm) when the side immediately above them in the table, Didcot Town Reserves, are the visitors.