MANAGER Carl Heeley admits Worcester City are “lacking quality in certain areas” after slipping to the foot of the Vanarama National League North.

A superb free-kick from Danny Lloyd clinched a 1-0 victory for Stockport County at Edgeley Park and sent City tumbling to a fifth defeat in seven games.

Heeley said he could not criticise his players’ efforts in the opening month of the season and also felt they had not been getting the “rub of the green”.

But having picked up just two points from a possible 21, the City boss said there were departments which needed to improve in a bid to turn their form around.

“I think there is a lack of quality in certain areas, but I don’t think you can criticise people for that,” he said.

“There is certainly not a lack of effort or desire as they are giving everything they have got.

“But we get good situations and we are not making the most of them and I can think of three or four, especially in the first half, where we should do better.”

Heeley, whose side are bottom on goal difference, added: “Maybe we need to swap a few personnel to try and improve the areas that we are lacking.

“But desire is not one of them.”

After a promising start, City fell behind to Lloyd’s 20-yard strike four minutes before the break.

But frustrated Heeley believes referee should have blew up for a “blatant foul” on Tyler Weir before the match-winning free-kick was awarded.

“I spoke to two of the Stockport guys before the game and I said any debatable decision would go against us and I was proved right,” he said.

“Danny Lloyd held Tyler to stop him from clearing it. The ball then gets knocked into the danger area and I think I need to see that one (the foul) again as it was a debatable one.

"Unfortunately when we talk about fine margins, we fell just on the wrong side of it again.

“It feels like a cruel game at the moment.

“It is hard enough without getting, in my opinion, a blatant foul.

“The highlights will prove it or disprove it, but I know I am right.”

City’s best chance of the game fell to midfielder Richard Batchelor who headed Danny Jackman’s corner narrowly over in the first half.

“He has done ever so well and showed a lot of desire and commitment to go and win that ball, but it just flies over the bar,” Heeley continued.

“I think if that had happened at the other end it would have gone in.

“That’s the way it is going at the moment and it is certainly the way it has gone in the opening games of the season.

“But I said at half-time, I cannot criticise you, so you have got to keep believing, you have got to keep working situations and take the shackles off.

“But if it did not happen, so we move on and try again.”

City will look to bounce back and end their poor run when they take on Gainsborough Trinity at the Victoria Ground on Saturday (3pm).