MARK Beesley gave a brutally honest appraisal of his Warrington Town side’s performance in losing at Banbury United on Saturday afternoon.

Indeed, he labelled the 3-0 defeat as his side’s worst display since he took over as manager in November 2021.

Goals from Ken Charles and Aidan Elliot-Wheeler had Banbury 2-0 up inside the first 15 minutes, meaning Town had to chase the game in searing heat.

While they came from two goals down to rescue a point against Spennymoor Town in midweek, Yellows never looked like doing so on this occasion and Charles’ second goal ended the game as a contest just after half time.

Post-match, Beesley slammed his side’s display as “nowhere near good enough” and issued an apology to the 64 travelling Town fans who made the trip to Oxfordshire.

He also refused to use the conditions as an excuse, with temperatures at pitchside nudging 30 degrees.

“I think to a man, that was the worst performance since I’ve been here,” he said.

“There’s often throw-away comments about making 11 subs but it’s never been more true than it was at half time.

“We can’t accept that – they can’t accept that as a group and we can’t as a management team because that was nowhere near good enough in every department.

“The heat played a part but it’s easier to cope with it when you go 2-0 up after 15 minutes.

“We’re chasing the game and it makes it doubly hard for us, but we can’t use it as an excuse.

“I want to apologise to the supporters – these lads have entertained them since we’ve been here but nearly two years ago, they’ve travelled in good numbers again today and they were loud but I felt sorry for them today.

“They were stood behind the goal in that heat and we didn’t give them anything. We need to improve quickly.”

Yellows’ struggles with injury throughout the campaign have been well-documented, with Beesley still without five key first-team players.

However, he insists the players he does have available should be doing much better and hinted changes of some nature were in the offing.

Focus switches to the FA Cup next weekend as Curzon Ashton, who won 4-1 at Cantilever Park in the league on Bank Holiday Monday, return for a second qualifying round tie and the manager is looking for a reaction.

“We’ve got to have a sit down this week and change a few things,” Beesley said.

“We’re conceding far too many goals and it means we’re chasing games. We’re going to have to look at a lot of things.

“There’s soul-searching to be done and there’s a lot of questions to be asked. I’m questioning them and I’m looking for a reaction.

“We’ve got injuries and it is costing us. We can’t change things but we can’t use it as an excuse.

“The players that were on the pitch today didn’t do enough. It’s as simple as that.

“They were deserved winners, but they won easy and we didn’t lay a glove on them.”