CAPTAIN Danny Jackman admitted it was a “dejected” dressing room after Worcester City’s “sickening” 2-1 defeat to 10-man Salford City on Saturday.

Substitute Nick Houghton netted with four minutes remaining to secure play-off chasing Salford a valuable victory and break relegation-threatened Worcester’s hearts.

The loss sees City drop into the bottom three with one game remaining after rivals Gainsborough Trinity drew 1-1 with Kidderminster Harriers.

And Jackman felt his side only had themselves to blame after missing “countless opportunities” to claim maximum points.

“It was a sickener, especially because of the way we played in the second half,” he said.

“The lads are really down and dejected and rightly so in my opinion.

“I think they had one chance in the second half and it was a goal. But that’s the quality they possess – teams towards the top have got that clinical edge.

“We had countless opportunities and had some good play but it doesn’t count if you don’t put the ball in the back of the net.”

Mike Phenix opened the scoring with a volley on 36 minutes as Salford controlled proceedings before James Poole received a second yellow card on the stroke of half-time.

City then made the numerical advantage count just shy of the hour mark when Jordan Murphy headed home Tom Sharpe’s pin-point cross.

“We knew they would have to change their way of playing (after the red card),” Jackman continued.

“It meant we could perhaps go on the front foot a little more and take it to them.

“We did that as we scored a great goal and from then on we created a few more chances.

“But the hardest part of the game is sticking the ball in the back of the net and as I have said countless times it is that bit we have struggled with most this season.”

The best of the opportunities fell to Junior English on 73 minutes. Cieron Keane whipped the ball in for the makeshift striker who fired straight at Jay Lynch.

“Junior has probably hit it too well,” Jackman said.

“It is one of those where on another day if it hits his ankle it probably goes in but he hit it cleanly and it goes straight at the keeper.

“But that’s summed up our season - great chances and we are not quite finishing them off.

“It’s not a criticism of the lads as we have all tried our hardest but it is just having that bit of quality in front of goal.”

With Gainsborough gaining a point a draw would have kept City out of the drop zone on goal difference.

But Houghton grabbed a late winner, firing low past Nathan Vaughan, to leave Worcester needing to better Trinity’s result next weekend to stay up.

“It was pretty frustrating as Salford huffed and puffed and hadn’t really created anything,” added Jackman whose side travel to champions AFC Fylde on the final day.

“But we suffered a sucker punch as we did not do our defensive duties properly and were not as professional as we should have been to see out the game.

“The worst case was that you take a point and you go from there so it was a real sickener for us to lose.”