IT hurts to be called the worst team in the Forest of Dean. That's why the Review made it into the team talk as Sling's reserve team manager Simon Gane laid down the law with a forbidding command that the "insult" was not be allowed to be repeated.

For the record, it was not an "insult". But it was the truth.

Sling's reserve team were bottom of North Gloucester League 4 and stayed there throughout last season. Simon Gane, now manager, was then a member of the team.

"We were a shade unlucky because a rumour went around that the team was going to fold. As a result we lost a few players who went to other clubs," says Gane.

"The Review called us 'The worst team in the Forest'. To help get the players motivated I used that in my first team talk."

Gane says the team is in much better shape this season. With some additional players and the emergence of some more youngsters, the Reserves are a much more complete outfit. To date they have

won two of their four games and Gane believes that at least a midtable place is on the cards.

"We have a good team spirit and a lot of fun at training and I'm quietly confident we can do reasonably well," he said.

Among the players to impress against Littledean, Gane selected goalkeeper Mark Chilton as having a splendid game. He also picked out wingers Liam Jones and Ashley Jones as positive attackers, both of whom contributed strong runs.

Having to make a late replacement Gane was lucky to be able to call on first-teamer Liam Jacques. "I had all midfielders on the bench but as the Firsts did not have a game I was able to call on striker Liam Jacques and he did the business," said Gane.

In a game played in a match-long downpour at Mitcheldean, Jacques scored an early goal as he capitalised on a goalmouth scramble. Littledean equalised but Jacques made the game safe when he hit the winner just four minutes from time.