ADAM Murray slammed a ‘flimsy’ opening 25 minutes from his side after Kidderminster Harriers suffered a 2-1 defeat away at Chorley.
Harriers lost for just the second time in the league in their last 18 matches after Jack Clarke’s late goal looked to have secured the visitors a point at Victory Park.
However, Harvey Smith struck one minute from time to put the home side back in front after Sam Bird’s deflected strike put the hosts ahead.
And Murray blasted his side’s start to the match and felt his players approached the game with a different mindset to that of recent fixtures.
Murray said: “That’s the most frustrated I’ve been all season. Every part of the occasion frustrated me from minute one to the 95th minute.
“We didn’t deserve anything. We could have been three down in the first 20 minutes just through sheer not switching on.
“We knew it would be a set-piece game so to concede a losing goal to that is really frustrating. Overall it was really frustrating.
“The only thing I can put [the slow start] down to is mindset. We’ve had some harsh words in the changing room because that’s not acceptable.
“We have to understand we’ve only lost two in 18 league games because we’ve had a mindset of winners and if we can’t win we don’t get beat.
“But that was flimsy. The first 25 minutes was flimsy at a place where you know you’re going to have battle and it’s going to be a war.”
Before defeat at Chorley, Harriers had embarked on a seven-game unbeaten run which cemented the club’s place in the National League North play-off places.
And Murray hopes the Chorley result will act as a wake-up call for his side and wants to see a reaction at Radcliffe this weekend.
Murray added: “We accept the plaudits when we’re good and these boys have been brilliant of late, they’ve been really good.
“But we accept the criticism when we’re not at our levels and for parts of it we weren’t at our levels.
“It’s everything we haven’t been. I just said to the players, the staff and myself, humble yourself.
“Nothing is done and we’ve got to where we have in terms of results and performances because we understand what makes us a good team.
“I’m hoping it’s a wake-up call to a few. We’re going to take it as a punch in the face and I want to see a reaction now.”
Kidderminster are next in action against Radcliffe on Saturday, March 21 with kick-off at 3pm at Neuven Stadium.
