Midland Alliance

STUDLEY manager Kevin Rowlands slammed his players following their 2-0 defeat at home to Barwell on Saturday.

The Bees went into the game on the back of two straight wins but failed to trouble their Leicestershire visitors until the final stages when Studley were already 2-0 down.

"The players accepted the unacceptable," Rowlands said.

"We went into the game with two good results but that was just the foundation for us to work on.

"Barwell were there for the taking but it seemed that they wanted the win more than us.

"It was probably the most disappointing result of the season as far as I was concerned."

Studley had striker Lee Ross to thank for their 1-0 victory over Westfields in midweek.

But second half goals from Scott Clamp and Craig Noble ensured the Bees finished empty-handed against Barwell.

"You have to be consistent in this league - a win would have given us a third straight win and moved us up the table five places," Rowlands added.

The Bees take a break from the league this weekend when they play host to Leamington in the first qualifying round of the FA Vase.

A big crowd is expected for one of the ties of the round but Rowlands is confident of seeing off their Midland Alliance rivals.

"They beat a depleted Studley side 2-0 earlier in the season but we now have all our personnel back," the manager added. "I will be disappointed if we lose to them again.

"It is important that we do well in the competition. While we can dream of having a good run in the FA Cup, the FA Vase is a more realistic target.

"We had a poor run last year so it would be good to rectify that this time."