DEALING with crosses is the “biggest weakness” in goalkeeper Ethan Ross’ game, according to Worcester City boss Carl Heeley.

The West Bromwich Albion loanee came under criticism from Heeley after City’s last-gasp 1-0 defeat to struggling Bradford Park Avenue last Saturday.

With only seconds remaining in the National League North clash, Avenue sent a cross in from the right.

But Ross could only punch the ball as far as Nicky Boshell who lashed it home with virtually the last kick of the game in the seventh minute of injury-time.

“Ethan’s got to come and catch the ball and have a bit of confidence,” said Heeley whose 17th-placed side are on a six-match winless streak in the league and two points above the relegation zone.

The 19-year-old keeper has made 15 appearances this term and City have recently agreed a deal with West Brom to keep him until the end of the season.

But “disappointed” Heeley insisted Ross, who has only been on the winning side three times this season, must improve the way he responds to crosses into the box.

And he challenged the teenager to “bounce back” as they prepare to take on FC United of Manchester at Bromsgrove’s Victoria Ground on Saturday (3pm).

“Ethan is a young lad but he has got to do better on crosses generally because it is the biggest weakness in his game,” continued Heeley who has also got Grimsby-based keeper Nick Draper at his disposal.

“Either catch it or punch it because he is not doing either at the moment. There should not be a lack of confidence with him.

“With more experienced goalkeepers you get fewer mistakes but Ethan has got to bounce back.

“If he wants a career in football he will be able to take things like that and deal with them.

“But I am not just singling out Ethan. Yes, it was the defining moment in the game but collectively as a team we were not good enough (against Bradford).”

Although unhappy with their performance, Heeley believed his team played better when forward Jordan Murphy came off the bench for the last 27 minutes.

However, City’s boss was frustrated with the number of fouls they conceded against third-from-bottom Avenue.

“It was tough to take but that’s what you get if you keep giving cheap free-kicks away,” he said.

“Jordan gave us a little injection, kicked us into life and we had our best spell for some time. But we couldn’t get that goal as much as we tried.

“We have given cheap free-kicks away time and time again this season.

“It just invited pressure on to us and the law of averages says if you keep putting the ball into the box eventually something is going to drop.

“But I am disappointed with Ethan as he has got to deal with that and when it drops to the lad 10 yards out one of them has finally gone in.”