DORCHESTER manager Craig Laird was disappointed with his side’s lacklustre display which saw them lose 3-2 to relegation-threatened St Neots Town.

The performance saw the Magpies extend their record to six without a win and the manager said his players simply weren’t good enough.

He said: “It’s a real shame after all the effort they’ve put in over the last couple of weeks, to put in such a lacklustre performance.

“It was disjointed and it was lacking in passion. It was probably one of the most important games of the season and we needed to put in the same kind of performance we’ve put in the last couple of games.”

Despite the criticism, Laird is keen to ease the burden on his young players by putting things in perspective.

He said: “There’s not a massive amount of depth in the squad to deal with these injuries and suspensions and that’s something we have to try and resolve.

“We have some good young players but they need help. They can’t be expected to carry the team and we need more senior lads to help them out.

“Normally you’d be able to bring these young players in gradually but they’ve been thrown in at the deep end and sometimes they aren’t quite up to it because they don’t have the experience required, or the tools to do the job consistently, and you need a consistent level of performance in this league.”

When quizzed on where the game was lost, Laird was quick to answer.

He said: “We conceded three sloppy goals. We’ve got the cut out the errors at one end and take our opportunities at the other. I think they deserved the win in the end, but that’s only through us not playing as well as we could have.”

Laird has been vocal about his need to strengthen the squad with senior players, and with the news of two potential arrivals being near, the manager is keen to get the deals done in time for the trip to Hitchin Town, saying: “We want them for Monday, so that’s what we’re trying to do.”