MANAGER Ashley Vincent pulled no punches following City’s 2-0 defeat at Coventry United and admitted: “We were beaten by the better side.”

Second-half goals from Tyler Haddow and Josh O’Grady “punished” a “sluggish” Worcester performance at Butts Park Arena, the subject of a recent revamp that includes a new synthetic playing surface.

READ MORE | Report & player ratings: Coventry United 2 City 0 

But Vincent was in no mood for excuses and vowed to readdress the fundamentals that had been the cornerstone of a five-match unbeaten run prior to a setback which fired United level on points with Midland Football League Premier Division leaders Newark Flowserve.

“We were sluggish and did not get going,” said Vincent.

“It wasn’t like us to be off them in the sense of being in and around our men, closer and more aggressive, and we were beaten by the better side.

“We did not start well and got done by two set pieces. We gave away silly fouls, something we thought we had ironed out over the past couple of games but that side of it crept back in.

“The first goal came from us not getting close to our man which was criminal and if you are not at the races in terms of creating chances and being clinical you get punished.

“People will never get anything other than disappointment from me when we have been beaten but the thing that angered me most was that I don’t feel like we had a go.

“The boys have been fantastic, probably for a good three months now, and as a group we let ourselves down so there is a massive disappointment.

“We came up against a side that was ready. They started well, had the bit between and we didn’t match them in any area, nor did we get the ball down and play on a good surface.

“I have no qualms, we were beaten by the better side on the day and we have to move forward and quickly, we have to get back into training and put right all of those things.

“I am hoping it is a reality check for us all.”

Salt was rubbed into the wound when striker Marco Adaggio was sin binned by referee Callum Parke late on.

“It was ridiculous,” said Vincent.

“Marco was speaking to one of their players who had gone down softly. The referee assumed Marco had called him soft, not the player. 

“It seemed like the referee was always going to make a decision. I have no problem with Marco, it has never been in his character to show dissent so I was shocked.

“Once I heard what he was sin binned for it was massively disappointing, that someone could get something so wrong but we move on.”

Players are not subjected to suspensions for sin bins. 

Salt was rubbed into the wound when striker Marco Adaggio was sin binned by referee Callum Parke.

“It was ridiculous,” said Vincent.

“Marco was speaking to one of their players who had gone down softly. The referee assumed Marco had called him soft, not the player. 

“It seemed like the referee was always going to make a decision. I have no problem with Marco, it is not his character to show dissent so I was shocked.

“Once I heard what he was sin binned for it was massively disappointing that someone could get something so wrong but we move on.”

Players are not subjected to suspensions for sin bins.