Cleator Moor Celtic manager Stuart Shaw was pulling no punches after his side’s 3-1 defeat at Hurst Green in the West Lancashire League.
Shaw said it was the worst defeat to take since he took over the job earlier in the season, especially as it came after a fine winning performance in their last game.
He said: “Players were not doing the hard yards, players were not doing their jobs correctly and players were not wanting to win a game of football.
“We cannot afford to carry four or five players and expect to come away with three points.
“I’m afraid we just weren’t at the races at all and that’s the disappointing thing about it, as they gave me a performance like they did two week ago and then go and give me that at Hurst Green.
“It’s not acceptable. Not only have they let myself and the coaching staff down but more importantly they have let themselves down.
“The game was there for the taking and we could have easily been 2-0 up within five minutes. Then the game got scrappy and it was long ball stuff for the remainder of the half.
“I had a lot of things to say at half time and we deserved to take the lead from a Bradley Rooney corner that was superbly headed into the top corner by outstanding Rhys Little.
“But within two minutes we conceded such a poor goal, from how we conceded the free kick in the first place and then how we dealt with it.
“For the second goal players were again not doing their jobs and not getting set up to defend a corner while the third was just a howler.
“It would be very easy for me to say a bad day at the office and one to forget but it won’t be forgotten about, things will be addressed within us as a squad of players.
“That’s not just on the field, but preparation is massively important as a squad, and that has to improve for us to progress forward.”
Shaw will be looking for his team to make amends this coming Saturday when they are due to host a very good Fulwood side to the Travis Perkins Ground.
