INTERIM Bridgwater Town manager Dave Pearse has described his ascent to the role as “a bit of a shock” but insisted he is ready to take on the challenge, writes Paul Martin.

Pearse, who joined the club as a player shortly after former manager Phil Hucker took the top job in January, will take charge of the beleaguered side until the end of the season.

Speaking about his appointment, Pearse said: “Considering there is only six games left to play, it has come as a bit of a shock, but this is a big club and I’m not the sort of person to turn an opportunity like this down.

“The club approached me about it, rather than the other way round – Phil had a hard task and was doing a good job.

“We have been playing against teams with much more experience and much more money, and on the whole we have competed.

“In some games we have put in good performances that make you wonder why we are bottom, but other weeks – like on Saturday [the 6-0 defeat at Mangotsfield] it is clear to see why we are where we are.

“Perhaps as players we could have done a bit more in some games, but we’ve now got to focus on putting in good performances for the sake of ourselves and the fans between now and the end of the season.”

Town have lost their last 13 matches on the spin, with Saturday’s reverse being the heaviest of those, and sit comfortably adrift at the foot of the Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West.

Pearse has endured a frustrating time on the field, often being starved of service, and admitted that he is unlikely to continue fighting on both fronts.

“Knowing the sort of person that I am, I think it’s unlikely that I will combine playing with managing as I want to focus on leading the team, but we will have to see how it goes,” he said.

The former Barnstaple Town striker is an experienced figure and is looking to get involved in coaching once his playing days are over, but he knows the scale of the challenge facing him at Fairfax Park.

“It has been a difficult time, and being in the changing room I’ve seen first hand how low the lads are, but it’s up to me to try and lift them,” he said.

“The pressure is off a bit now that we are essentially down, so we’ll see if we can put in some good displays from here on in,” he added.

Pearse’s first match in temporary charge is a tough test at Salisbury this evening (Tuesday).