FOUR days, two games and two totally contrasting performances have left us with a big task to lift the players ahead of Saturday's FA Cup tie at Hucknall Town.

Where we finished strongly against Havant & Waterlooville for a terrific comeback, last night against Bath we just capitulated from the off.

It was as poor a performance as I've had in my time at the club and there is no excuse for it - we were just bad.

Individually and collectively we were poor and hence the reason for a lengthy chat after the game where I delivered a few home truths.

We went into the match as league leaders but gave a display far short of that standard and basically were just steamrollered.

Saturday's match against Havant had seen us put in a rousing finish to claw back the goal after Paul Carty's sending off and before last night's game we talked about the need to impose ourselves from the kick off - but we started badly and got worse.

The Havant game had pockets of decent play but the pace and tempo were missing until Carty's red card and that is something we were hoping to address last night.

Carty's dismissal was a blow - and undeserved - and once again referees have hit the headlines for the wrong reasons.

If players were sent off for those offences all the time we would be finishing with five-a-side teams.

The upshot of it all though is another ban and Leon Jackson, another who was unlucky to see red, begins a three match ban on Saturday which will again further drain our resources.

The squad is at stretching point at the minute and it is beginning to show. The eleven almost picks itself and there is an element of complacency creeping in because of the lack of competition for places.

It's important to have players challenging for places but with the likes of David Foy, Mark Shail, Stewart Hadley, Marc Burrow and Asa Charlton out of action we are thin on the ground.

It's a situation we are trying to rectify and the club has been active in the transfer market with the board of directors supporting us but as so often it's not a quick, easy fix just to bring someone in as we know from experience.

Of those injured players Foy's absence has been perhaps the most crucial.

No one has come in and staked a claim to his place and the quality of play has suffered.

Although I've been critical of the players after last night's performance it's still there for them to bounce back and show what they can do against Hucknall.

I will be looking closely for a response and knowing the character of these lads, I'm sure I will get one.

They showed with a gutsy performance against Havant what they can do and we need to regroup and make sure that we prepare properly for Hucknall and come out of the blocks at pace and take the game to them.

The FA Cup is more important than ever for clubs such as Worcester with the prize money on offer and we will need to be right on our game if we are to proceed past what will be a physical and strong side.

Looking on the bright side last night's defeat was only our second of the season and perhaps can act as a timely wake up call to put us back on track.