LEE Sinnott could not hide his bitter disappointment at seeing Altrincham lose ground in the Skrill North title race with a 2-1 defeat to Worcester City at a windswept, rain-lashed J.Davidson Stadium on Tuesday night.

Alty finally returned to action, after losing three games to the weather, but still had adverse conditions to contend with, as torrential rain fell from start to finish.

They were found wanting, as Worcester scored twice and withstood late pressure sparked by an 80th-minute free-kick from substitute James Lawrie, and Sinnott pulled no punches as he reflected on a second successive league defeat.

“My concern is how the team performed, rather than the weather,” said the Alty manager.

“If you can’t adapt to the conditions, you are going to need blue sunny skies from August all the way through to May to get anywhere, and it doesn’t work like that.

“We didn’t get out of the blocks at all, and when that happens, you are always in danger of a negative result. Starting as sluggishly and slowly as we did is a godsend to an away team, and Worcester took full advantage. There was no rhythm to our play, and we couldn’t build any momentum. There’s no getting away from it, I’m bitterly disappointed with certain aspects of tonight.

“We didn’t do enough to say we should have drawn, let alone won. We did not look threatening all evening. We didn’t work their keeper at all, and that is not good enough.

‘We are not going to be up at the top playing like that, and the players were told. At half-time, I had a word with them, if you want to call it that. It was more a case of blistering the paint, and you look for a reaction after not only doing that but changing personnel and the system.

“As manager, you stand there and get all the stick in the world, but we knew it would be a big ask to expect 90 minutes from Joe Mwasile on his first appearance on loan from Morecambe in such heavy conditions. Similarly, Matt Doughty was cramping up, and, to be fair, James went on and struck his free-kick really well.

“There are still plenty of games to go, and scope for twists and turns, but the consistency we need is missing. There is plenty to play for, but we have to be better than we showed in this game.”

Nicky Clee returns from suspension and James Walshaw has a chance of being fit against Boston United at the J.Davidson Stadium on Saturday (3pm).