Only four players – Aaron Bellairs, Aaron Ridout, Matt Holland and Ben Stainsby – made the starting line-up for Monday’s disappointing derby defeat against Sleaford at the Abbey Lawn.

Eleven fresh faces have arrived since the managerial trio of Neil Thorpe, John Chand and Mark Cook took the helm, but Bourne still find themselves just a point clear of the bottom two relegation places.

Chand said: “No way was it our plan to come into Bourne Town and oust all the players, but the club’s position in the Premier Division has detoriated over the past three seasons and the table doesn’t lie.

“The new players who came in did a good job on Saturday to get an excellent point at S&L and we played well in certain spells on Monday, but a couple of individual errors cost us the game.

“We just need to get over the line, whether it’s by hook or crook, and make sure the club stays in the Premier Division and then we can look to take the club forward next season.

“Every player at the club will then be judged on how they perform in pre-season whether they are the new ones we have brought to the club, existing first-team players or those in the reserve team.

“We want to blend young players with experienced ones which we believe will be the potion for success.”

Bourne are now without a league game until Tuesday, April 15, when they bring the curtain down on their Premier Division campaign at St Ives.

Results elsewhere will determine what the Wakes need to do in that final match to avoid relegation as Potton will have finished their season while Wootton will only one game remaining against Blackstones.

Just a point separates the three teams at the moment and Chand is hoping that the break will give the new-look Wakes time to gel.

He added: “We will have a chance to train two or three times as well as having a couple of friendlies and it will also give us the chance to have a look at all the players at the club.

“It’s been very hard to judge players at the moment as we have only had a couple of games.

“Callum Lewis didn’t play very well for us on Monday, but I know that he is great player. If you had judged him on just the one game you wouldn’t considering playing him again which won’t be the case.

“It’s been very difficult for us, but the picture should be a lot clearer by the time we go to St Ives.”

l Last season’s Wakes players’ player of the year Tim Quy has joined league rivals St Ives.

Quy has been sidelined for most of the season with injury.

l Wakes goalkeeper Aaron Bellairs has signed dual registration forms with UniBond Premier Division side Stamford.

Bellairs is expected to provide back-up to Stamford’s player assistant boss Ian Pledger who is set to take over the goalkeeping duties following the departure of Chris Sanna from the club.