Wisbech embroiled in UCL Premier Division relegation battle after home defeat against Shirebrook Town

Wisbech Town players need to take a close look at themselves with the club embroiled in a UCL Premier Division North relegation fight.

That's the verdict of coach Ross McNeil after the club lost their huge six-pointer 1-0 to Shirebrook Town at Fountain Fresh Park on Saturday.

The win leaves the Derbyshire side level on points with the fourth-from-bottom Fenmen but McNeil felt it was a game his side should never have lost.

McNeil said: "The lads need to look at themselves as we won't be making any excuses as a management team.

"We've all been in football long enough to know that we shouldn't be losing games like today at home.

"We should have been 3-1 up at half-time but we weren't and that's when you make sure you do better in the second half but we didn't do enough."

Fabian Johnson scored the only goal of the game for Athletic this afternoon in the 31st minute, seconds after Wisbech had struck a post.

The visitors finished the game with ten men after Jarvis Denham was dismissed for his second yellow card.

"We're disappointed today," said a dejected McNeil after the game.

"We've hit the post with a great header from a good cross, their defender has hooked it upfield, the striker takes a touch and bashes it into the top corner.

"That's just brutal and we find ourselves 1-0 down.

"We've had three or four really good chances in the first half and I have to say their goalkeeper was outstanding today.

"He's a young lad on loan but if he keeps playing like that I don't think he'll be at Step Five very long.

"We huffed and puffed in the second half and we probably should shoot more with the wind behind us.

"They (Shirebrook) will agree that luck was on their side today but as we've said before you have to make your own luck and we've got to be a lot more clinical and need better delivery into the box."

Luke Hipwell’s team are five points clear of former manager Brett Whaley’s Deeping Rangers, who are in the relegation area, but Wisbech have played three games more.

The two sides meet at Market Deeping on Boxing Day but on Saturday Wisbech travel to play 12th-place Ashby Ivanhoe.

McNeil said: "Every game in this league we feel we can compete and nobody is rolling us over but there are things that we need to address.

"There's no hiding and no excuses from us but things need to get better in terms of outcomes.

"It's alright saying the process id going okay but it is the outcomes you are judged on in football."

Wisbech Town v Shirebrook Town: Lakin, Harris (Cavozzi), Wilson, Nicholson (Falcao), Mattless, Braham, Foster (Papworth-Boston), Williams, Conyard, Ward, Lennon. Subs (not used): Hoyle, Butcher.

Attendance: 102.