Hamilton Parish have hit a rough patch just weeks after the high of lifting the Dudley Eve Trophy.

Sergio Goater’s team were on cloud nine following their milestone victory over Paget Lions at Wellington Oval on November 10, securing their first major title.

However, the Hot Peppers now find themselves in dire straits, sitting at the bottom of the Premier Division with only one point from six matches.

“It’s been hard because guys are away, like last weekend,” Goater told The Royal Gazette. “Four guys were away, and one guy [Nasje Brockington] broke his wrist. He has now gone and I think has got a job in London.

“Every week it’s something, and next week, guys are going again, so we’re up against it right now.”

Parish suffered a humbling 5-0 defeat to Devonshire Cougars at Wellington Oval on Sunday in their first league match since the international break. Key players Shayne Hollis, Leroy Lewis Jr, Aaron Nelson and Mateo Turner were all missing from Goater’s squad.

“After the game, we had a little conversation,” Goater said. “It wasn’t about pointing fingers or arguing — just a discussion for guys to face reality because football is a very humbling game. You could be on a high one week and at your lowest low the next. This is the lowest we have been.”

Despite the challenges, Goater remains hopeful.

“I am optimistic we can turn it around, and you have to believe,” he said. “You would be a fool to think we are not in trouble. We’ve got one point, but we have to keep working and believe we can get ourselves out of this.

“Last year, we were nearly in this position, too. We got into a Dudley Eve semi-final and managed to turn it around, so if there’s something to take away, it’s that it’s definitely possible.

“But each player has to hold their hand up. You always have to dig deep, put in the hard miles and get into peak physical condition. If anything, you should be able to outwork your opponent, and that’s something we’re not doing right now.

“We have the quality; they are definitely good enough players. But right now, the hard work is what’s missing.”

Help may be on the horizon for Parish, with college players Diego Richardson, Tre Burgess, Aiden Peets and Jalen Commissiong expected to return over the Christmas period.

“We should have a few college players back over the Christmas break into January, so they can help us with a few league games,” Goater said.

“We play the teams that are around us, so we still have a chance to at least close the gap. We just have to dig deep.”

Meanwhile, champions PHC Zebras host St George’s Colts at PHC Field tonight (8pm) in a Premier Division match rescheduled from Friday after a waterlogged pitch caused a postponement.

PHC aim to bounce back from their first league defeat of the season, a 1-0 loss to Devonshire Colts, while St George’s seek to end a three-match winless streak, having collected only one point from a possible nine.

In their only previous meeting this season, PHC cruised to a 6-0 victory in the Charity Cup in September.