Clean start (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Clean start

TONY Thorpe accepts that frustration has played a part in Town's unhealthy card count so far this campaign and admits the players must cut out the needless bookings to avoid further pain.

The striker has also taken heart from a chat with Kevin Keegan as he looks to help turn the tide at the County Ground.

Although the red card column is thankfully blank, Town have clocked up 18 bookings with the number of games played not even into double figures.

Eleven members of the squad have found their way into the referee's notebook this season and Thorpe and Jack Smith are the major 'sinners' at this stage, with three bookings apiece.

Thorpe joked: "Have I played enough matches to get that many bookings? I don't think I've ever had three bookings so quickly.

"I'm certainly not one who generally ends with loads of bookings and I can only recall a couple of red cards in my career.

"Still, I guess part of it is down to frustration I suppose.

"Seriously, it's important as a team that we don't give needless fouls away, especially in danger areas of the pitch.

"We've seen in matches so far how we've been punished in set-piece situations.

"There is a temptation to lash out when you're losing but you just have to try and keep your cool.

"Looking at it the other way though, if people are going in for those challenges then it shows they care and are willing to get hurt for the job.

"It's the petulant bookings that you don't want. They add up and suddenly people are out of the team."

Leaving aside the issue of cards, Thorpe is convinced that Town are not horribly off course and he feels now is the time the players must dig deep to put things right, to make it happen rather than hoping fortunes will change.

He said: "I remember having a chat with Kevin Keegan (pictured inset) when I was at Fulham.

"He told me that the harder you work, the luckier you seem to get and that the rewards will follow. I'm a great believer in that to be honest."

Thorpe enjoyed 45 minutes' action on Saturday and despite not getting on the scoresheet was happy enough with his contribution.

He said: "Chances were scarce but I gave all I could and I don't honestly think we played that badly as a team."