EMBARRASSED and outraged was how Stourport Swifts boss Tim Langford felt after seeing his side slump to a 5-0 thrashing at arch rivals Redditch United in the Dr Martens Western Division yesterday.

Langford fumed: "It was pretty embarrassing from where I was stood, particularly in the second half.

"It doesn't leave a very nice taste in my mouth. We were lucky to get away with five.

"It is quite apparent that some players have had four games to show what they can do and they haven't done it.

"It is a test now for the players that are here, and for myself, to see how we respond."

And Langford was furious when former Swifts striker Lee Booth escaped with just a yellow card after his elbow left visiting defender Dave Davies stretchered off and seeking hospital treatment.

Langford said: "I don't rant and rave about getting players sent off but the Lee Booth incident was an absolute disgrace.

"The referee said he had caught Dave Davies with an elbow and to me that is a sending off offence. I thought it was a disgraceful challenge."

Redditch opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time when the mercurial Alex Cowley drilled a ball across goal for Richard Softley to prod home.

Cowley added a gem of a strike two minutes after the restart with a 20-yard shot into the roof of the net before Swifts were forced into their regrouping following Davies' injury.

A gaff by keeper Rob Clarke allowed Softley to stroll in for United's third on 70 minutes with Craig Harris and Naveed Arshad completing the scoring in the closing stages.

Langford added: "What we need to look out now is how we respond to this. Throughout the league every team has a drubbing and maybe it is what we need to give ourselves a kick up the backside.

"Performances like this are just unacceptable. We had a 4-0 drubbing at Weston last year but we picked ourselves up and went on a decent winning streak.

"We are running on a small squad so players have another chance on Saturday.

"Simon Marsh and Jamie Stainer are both unavailable so it will give some of the youngsters a chance to stake their claim."

SWIFTS: Clarke 5, Mulders 5, Ulfig 6, Dearlove 5 (Stainer 54, 5), Davies 4 (Wright 65, 5), Nicholls 6, Marsh 6, Crisp 5, Giddings 6, Bennett 6 (Edwards 81), GARDNER 7. Subs (not used): Nicholson, Fletcher.

STAR MAN: Richard Gardner.