UNHAPPY Studley boss John Edwards described this week’s 3-0 defeat to Rocester as their worst display of the season.

Edwards insisted: “It was as bad as it gets! If we play like that against Atherstone at the Beehive this Saturday, then we’ll lose by six or seven goals.

“It’s getting to be a familiar trend. We win two or three games on the bounce and then go and put in a performance like this.

“To be fair, Rocester played much better than their league position suggests.

“But we should have been 2-0 up in the first 10 minutes. The chances that we missed were as good as they get.

“Then we go and concede from a breakaway and they score after goalkeeper Tom Hayward, who has been outstanding for us this season, goes and mis-kicks the ball.

“Then we make another mistake by giving the ball away on the edge of the area and they score.

“From that point, heads dropped and our challenge just petered out.

“I only wish we had a midweek game to put matters right, but we’ve got to wait until Saturday and Atherstone.

“I wish it wasn’t at home either as we’re playing better away from home at the moment.

“As a result, the top four sides in Total Motion Midland League Division One are beginning to pull away to the point where they are beginning to look out of sight for us, even if we won every game from now until the end of the season.

“Whatever happens, we need to improve!

Studley’s prospects haven’t been helped by the departure of Shay Palmer who has joined Premier Division side Highgate United.

Edwards admitted: “It’s a blow as Shay has done very well for us over the past six to eight weeks."