BOSS Dave Webb bemoaned the quality of the playing surface at the Webb’s Wood Stadium after Supermarine were held to a 0-0 draw by Evesham in Divison One South & West.

The match only went ahead after the club enlisted the help of volunteers to fork the pitch and ensure it had drained sufficiently ahead of kick-off.

But despite the best efforts of club officials and supporters, the surface was still extremely wet and that did not lend itself to an entertaining game.

Marine struck the woodwork through Josh Parsons and Craig Curtis either side of the break but that was as close as the hosts came to gaining all three points.

Webb said: “Great credit to everyone in getting the game on, but we’ve got a massive problem with the pitch.

“The water isn’t draining in the top two or three inches and all the work putting in new drainage in the summer hasn’t done what we wanted it to do.

“It’s actually made it worse and it doesn’t help the way we want to play. We’re not a team that wants to move the ball from back to front as quickly as possible.

“It’s hard to explain how bad it was.

“It was like Hereford-Newcastle in that famous FA Cup game where the ball wasn’t running true.

“Everyone did their utmost to get the game on and the pitch looked alright, but as soon as you run on it, it just cuts up.

“I feel sorry for the people that came out and paid their money because they haven’t seen the spectacle we wanted to put on.

“I thought Evesham came for a point, but it should have been three for us and maybe it would have been had the pitch been in better nick.

“It wasn’t a classic, but I’m happy we didn’t get beat.”

Webb admitted that Marine’s pitch problem will be with them until the end of the season, but was hopeful that some respite would improve the condition of the surface.

“It won’t get put right until the summer,” he said.

“The next two games are away from home and hopefully that will give the pitch the chance to recover for the Abingdon game a week Wednesday.”

Marine are next in action tomorrow night, when they travel to Wales to take on play-off rivals Merthyr.