DORCHESTER Town manager Tom Killick pulled no punches after observing what he deemed to be a “humiliating” 4-2 home defeat by Hungerford Town.

Killick’s men were ruthlessly punished by the Crusaders after creating a stack of first-half chances without scoring.

Debutant Tyrique Clarke’s error then led to Conor McDonagh’s opening goal and Hungerford were suddenly unshackled, Sam De St Croix tapping home a simple second.

Joe Shepherd’s crisp finish made it 3-0 before Harvey Hughes curled home a beautiful free-kick for Dorchester on 85 minutes.

READ MORE: Dorchester Town 2-4 Hungerford Town - report

Fabio Lopes nodded home unmarked as Hungerford extinguished any vapour of hope for the Magpies, who added a second excellent consolation thanks to Lewis Waterfield’s 25-yard scorcher.

However, as good as Dorchester’s goals were, Killick tore into a performance he felt lacked the fight befitting a team attempting to elevate themselves from 20th spot.

He told Echosport: “We were reasonably bright in certain elements in the first half, we got ourselves into some good positions, created some good chances, but we weren’t clinical.

“Then, they showed us what needed to be done in terms of being ruthless. They’ve created not more than us but they end up being 2-0 up.

“You can see then the fight drained out of us. I felt we ended up looking very ragged and demoralised. We ended up being well beaten.

“I just found it humiliating to be at home in a situation where we’re fighting for our lives, we know that, and to end up being so well beaten.

“We had a little flurry at the end but we were just well beaten. I haven’t really had that since I’ve come here, that I can think, that we’ve been beaten convincingly.

“There’s an awful lot that concerns me. I feel quite embarrassed, quite let down by it.

“You’re learning about people and players every day, every match. I can’t afford to keep watching the same things and seeing the same elements of inadequacies and allow it to continue.

“We have to keep trying to improve, bring players in. As a group, you have to absorb the pain of it, you can’t shy away, and you have to come out fighting.

“It’s clear to me that we probably have to make changes to the squad. If we carry on as we are, then I don’t think we’re going to see significant change and significant change is what’s needed.”

Killick added how he expected more of Dorchester, given their perilous situation in the Pitching In Southern League Premier South table.

“I thought the one thing we would really have is an unbelievable energy and physicality because of the situation we’re in,” he said.

“If we were a little bit short on quality in certain areas or we made mistakes, but there was a real physicality and effort about us, then sometimes you have to forgive quite a lot of things.

“I just was so disappointed in how comfortable it was for them at times. We’re at home, in a relegation battle and you cannot allow any team to come here and be comfortable.

“At times, that’s what happened.”

He added: “It’s quite hard for me to be particularly insightful in the second half because I spent most of it being so annoyed that sometimes you lose your focus on exactly what was happening.

“I was getting more and more embarrassed. In the first half, I did think we were reasonable.

“We made two ridiculous mistakes for their goals and we were wasteful in terms of our chances. At least there was a little bit about us in the first half.

“I just felt there were spells in the second half where we looked like we’d given up the ghost. That’s the inexcusable thing.”

Dorchester face a crunch clash at 21st-placed Harrow on Saturday (3pm).