DORCHESTER Town’s players have two games to prove they are worthy of a place in the club’s first-team squad, according to Stuart Heath.

The caretaker-boss has made it abundantly clear just how important the next five days are for the players and their long-term futures at the Avenue.

Speaking to Echosport after the 2-1 defeat at Southern Premier Division basement boys Banbury, Heath stated that “poor performances and results have gone on for too long”.

Dorchester host Truro tomorrow night and then go to Yate in the FA Cup on Saturday, and if the players continue to perform like they have been it could be a rocky road ahead for some.

“The brutal reality is that we have come to a stage where the players have got five days and two games to play for their futures at the club,” said Heath.

“Poor performances and results have gone on for too long I’m afraid.

“We’ve got to a time where the makeup and balance of the playing squad has got to be looked at.

“We’ve got a good group of experienced lads who you can rely on most weeks, but unfortunately the majority of the rest of the squad have proved not good enough when they have come in.

“You can talk all you like about players missing but when that gives opportunities to players they have got to prove they are good enough, and too many times they come in and don’t take their opportunity.”

He continued: “We’ve got to look at what playing squad is right for Dorchester Town.

“The next two games will tell us all we need to know about that.

“If they continue to be poor and inadequate, like they were at Banbury, then I’m afraid we’ve got to be ruthless for the good of the team and the club.

“The lads have got to realise that they can only get so many opportunities, especially at semi-pro level.

“There are plenty of players out there that could come in and do a really good job for Dorchester Town.

“It’s now up to the players to prove that their long-term futures are at Dorchester.”

Saturday’s loss in Oxfordshire means the Magpies have taken just one point from a possible 15, and it was individual errors that proved costly yet again at Banbury.

Heath added: “We gave ourselves a mountain to climb with individual defensive mistakes and a collective team effort that wasn’t good enough against a side fighting for their lives.

“Our first-half performance was not acceptable and I made that quite clear to the players.

“The players got plenty of praise for their performance against a good Chesham side and they’ve got to take the criticism for their first-half display against a Banbury team that showed passion and hunger.

“Individual errors continue to be repeated after clear information about how to improve and how to do better was given to them.

“Some players just haven’t taken it on board and continue to make the same mistakes.”