Gary Setchell is pleading with King's Lynn Town's supporters to keep believing in his drive for development.

The Linnets boss has overseen the formation of an under-18s team this summer as well as adding a host of young and locally-based players to his first team squad. One, striker Toby Hilliard, was sent off during Tuesday's disappointing 3-0 defeat at struggling Bedworth United as Lynn's mixed start to the term continued.

But Setchell was quick to leap to the talented frontman's defence and called for fans to keep the faith ahead of today's Southern League Premier Division clash at home to high-flying Chippenham Town.

'This is a young team of local lads so they are going to win and lose football matches, it's as simple as that, we've just got to keep going,' Setchell, also Town's general manager, wrote in his latest blog on the club's official website.

'The players will make mistakes, but they will improve with support from all associated with the club. They're going to make bad decisions but we need to be patient, we need to keep hold of these lads as we are going to have an exciting team in years to come – but they need time.

'The likes of Toby Hilliard certainly and Matty Castellan possibly, are going to be in the team and flying and then they'll make mistakes in the odd game or two as they might not be experienced. That's where we need to be patient as a group and as a manager and certainly as a fan base. These guys are hopefully going to be at this club for a long time and push us up the league, to get us where we want to be.'

Kern Miller, 24, is likely to return this afternoon after missing the midweek defeat due to an on-going hamstring issue. Hilliard is eligible while Lynn appeal his straight red card for a supposed elbow but Jordan Yong (ankle) and Sam Gaughran (hamstring) look set to miss out.

One player who will certainly not feature is frontman Jake Speight. Setchell confirmed after the Bedworth reverse that the former Mansfield Town hitman – who scored two goals in pre-season following his summer arrival but failed to hit the net in any league or cup games – had left the club.

Ex-Linnet Stuart Wall, currently at Wisbech Town, has been forced to retire. The 28-year-old centre-back recently suffered another break to the same foot in the Fenmen's game at Cogenhoe and under medical advice has been advised to hang up his boots. He was Lynn's player and players' player of 2011/12 but ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the summer of 2012. Wall left Lynn in May 2014, having only played three further games for the club.