Donnelly takes responsibility for Shoreham defeat
Will Hoare, Marcus Elliott and Alex Gaggin all struck twice, while Leo Mazzone also netted as Mussels slipped to a heavy 7-2 defeat at East Grinstead Town.
Mussels boss Donnelly decided to go with a changed 4-1-2-1-2 system to start the game and took responsibility for his team's first half display.
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Hide AdShoreham were 3-0 down at the break and facing an uphill task to get back in it. East Grinstead netted a further four times in the second to compound a difficult afternoon for Mussels.
Donnelly said: "I take full responsibility for the defeat. Performances have been improving of late but I decided to change the system, which didn't really work.
"We were a bit better in the second but the damage was done by then. I take the blame for the first half, then we were left with too much to do."
Gaggin broke the deadlock on 15 minutes, then Hoare added a second four minutes later.
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Hide AdA difficult half was rounded off for Mussels with Gaggin making it three on the half-hour.
Elliott got his first four minutes after the restart, before striking for a second time on the hour.
Evan Archibald pulled one back for Shoreham after 70 minutes but Mazzone struck ten minutes to restore East Grinstead's five-goal lead.
Hoare rounded off the home side's scoring six minutes from the end - making it seven. Shoreham striker Dan Simmonds got another back two minutes later as it ended 7-2.
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Hide AdMussels welcome division-higher Bostik League Premier Division rivals Worthing to Middle Road for a Velocity Trophy first-round encounter tomorrow (7.45pm).
Donnelly, who has managed Worthing previously, is expecting a tough test and said: "They (Worthing) have a good, young team and it will be difficult.
"They have struggled so far this season, as have we, so it will be interesting to see who comes out on top."
SHOREHAM: Broadbent; Packer, Timms, Gathern, Whitehead; Hand, Nazala, Goldson, Burton; Archibald, Simmonds. Subs: Myers (Nazala), Tan (Burton), Nayee (Goldson), Quadri, Caplin.