ASHLEY Vincent jumped to the defence of young striker Jordan Harrison after a number of Worcester City fans turned on the misfiring frontman during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at home to title rivals Sporting Khalsa.

City’s assistant manager watched as the 21-year-old, snapped up from Cradley Town in the summer, missed a number of chances late in the first half when the match was scoreless.

Those missed opportunities came back to haunt the home side soon after the restart when Khalsa bagged the only goal of the Midland League Premier Division game with a Lee Chilton penalty.

“We could and should have been three-up at half-time and Jordan knows that,” Vincent admitted.

“He’s got a bit of stick from our own people but he’s been fantastic. He’s our top scorer and keeps putting himself out there to be shot at. He will do it again and will score goals again.

“They were big chances, he expects to score and we expect him to score them and on another day they win us the game. It’s just not happened on Saturday.

“We are all human so naturally when people make comments they enter your psyche ­— it’s just that they affect some people more than others.

"Jordan is an honest boy and confidence is a factor for all forwards ­— when you’re scoring you go on a streak, when you’re not it feels as though you can’t hit a barn door.

“What I will say about him is that he will be the first one at training and the last one to leave as he always is.

"We need to get behind him and the rest of the players because they are honest lads, running around and putting in a shift for the shirt.

“We need to take stock. We have been on a hell of a run ­— full-time professional clubs struggle to get anything near what we’ve done and they have a good team to support.

"I will stand by the boys. I admit that it wasn’t our day and we could have done things better but they will come again because they are a strong bunch and are together.”

City’s best chances of the game both fell to Harrison.

On 42 minutes James Baldwin broke down the left before teeing up the striker who managed to push his shot wide of an open goal.

Then four minutes later he broke clear only for Khalsa keeper Sam Arnold to block his effort.

While Worcester had the better of the opening period they were second best after the break particularly after Chilton had driven a penalty past Dan Jezeph just two minutes after the restart ­— a penalty decision that few in the ground could understand other than referee Richard Watson.

Jezeph pulled off another decent stop to keep out a Josh Thomas drive while City’s best chance to level fell to Tyler Weir with an effort that bobbled the wrong side of the upright.

Vincent admitted it was disappointing for the 15-game unbeaten run to end.

He said: “We were fantastic in the first half but in the second we didn’t really get going. We got caught up with whatever they (Sporting Khalsa) wanted to do.

“That’s football ­— the run has come to an end but I’ve said to the players that if starting next weekend they go on another run then we’d all take that. It’s about going again.”

City: Jezeph; English, Stoddart, Fishwick (Evans 82), Smith (Lockett 69); Weir, Caines, Forsyth, Baldwin; Withington (Turton 57), Harrison. Subs not used: Osbourne, Bates.

Attendance: 403.

City star man: Jordan Stoddart.