LENELL JOHN-LEWIS admits he and his fellow Exiles let down former manager Terry Butcher.

The Exiles parted company with Butcher on the same day the Supporters’ Trust completed their takeover of the club, having won just once since the start of the campaign.

But John-Lewis, who scored his first goal for his new club - but for new manager John Sheridan – on Saturday against Exeter, admits the players are to blame for Butcher’s exit.

“We were surprised that Terry left, obviously he’s signed a lot of the players here and it was a whole big change at the start of the season,” he explained.

“But we have to move on.

“We definitely feel like we let Terry down, of course. For me personally, I was signed as a striker and to score goals and if I had done that, perhaps results would have been different and he’d still be here.

“In football these things happen and you’ve got to move on.

“We never set out to lose any games. As players we always tried to be positive. We just needed to try and keep it together.

“The Crawley game was a massive blip that we have to move on from.

New boss John Sheridan has impressed his new charges, however.

“He is straight to the point, I’ve played against his clubs a few times, but straight away, he left us in no doubt about what he wants to do,” he said.

“Today is a new day; it’s a new start with a new manager.”

John-Lewis feels his goal on Saturday can be a kick-starting moment.

“It’s big for me, I hope that starts a run, that’s what you always want, get off the mark and they’ll keep flowing. Hopefully now the goals will come.

“The team used me a bit better on Saturday, the balls in to me gave me more chance to hold it up and there was a lot more energy, so that helps.

"It's pleasing and it's a relief. A lot of frustration came out in the goal, but it is pleasing and it is nice to get off the mark finally. I got asked if it was on my weaker foot, but I like to say that I am two-footed!

"It fell nicely for me and I was able to make a good connection with it.

"I am a striker and I want to score goals and for me it has been very frustrating so far.

"As a striker you always want to get off the mark and hopefully they will keep flowing. From my point of view, if I can keep on playing well and keep holding up the ball as the manager wants, then the goals will come.”