CAPTAIN Danny Jackman says Worcester City’s players need to “grow up” and play with more “personal pride” to avoid being dragged into a relegation fight again.

Worcester retained their Vanarama National League North status on Saturday despite losing 2-0 at AFC Telford United.

The experienced Jackman said he was “disappointed” his side, who stayed up thanks to Brackley Town’s 1-1 draw at Curzon Ashton, left it so late to “get over the line”.

City’s defeat at Telford’s New Bucks Head Stadium was their third in succession and former Northampton Town and Gillingham player Jackman admitted they have failed to respond to the pressure.

“From my personal point of view, it was a bit disappointing as there was no real pressure on us,” he said. “There was more pressure on the other teams we have played in recent weeks, so we have not lived up to the billing.

“Pressure does funny things to certain people and we need to learn to deal with it better.

“Perhaps we thought we had done enough but when everybody is not pulling in the right direction things can change.

“I have just tried to be positive and not let people hide in their shell and be overawed by the occasion.

“But players do get that way, so we need to try to grow up and live up to the pressures that football bring. We need to be mentally tougher but luckily we have got over the line, so we have got to dust ourselves down now and go again next season.”

Jackman said there will be positives to take from this season, which will come to a close for City when they take on AFC Fylde at Aggborough on Saturday (3pm).

But the 33-year-old said he was unhappy they let the campaign “fizzle” out after reaching the FA Cup first round against Sheffield United, who ran out 3-0 winners at Bramall Lane in November.

“It has been a mixed bag of a season,” he said.

“At the start, we won the Worcestershire FA Senior Cup and then played Sheffield United in the FA Cup, which was massive.

“But the league should be our bread and butter and when you finish the way we have it puts you on a bit of downer because I think we are better than we have shown, especially in the last six weeks or so.

“Yes, we might have thought we had done enough but, as was proved on Saturday, nothing is a given and had results gone the other way we would have been right back in it.

“We need to look at ourselves and try to have a bit more personal pride.”