Worthing boss Hinshelwood: 'We’ve been nowhere near our level and it’s been poor to watch'

Worthing have suffered two successive 3-0 away defeats after previously going ten games unbeaten.

Hinshelwood’s side sit in fifth, the final play-off place, but are just a point ahead of place-below Leatherhead and three ahead of ninth-placed Folkestone Invicta.

Hinshelwood said: “We know we’ve got to improve. We’ve been nowhere near our level and it’s been poor, at best, to watch.

“Training was good last week and had a good intensity to it, so we didn’t see defeat coming on Saturday. That’ll be the message to the players. Try and rediscover and recreate what we see in training on a weekly basis.

“We’ve got to focus on ourselves and get back to the kind of form we produced before these next two games.

“As a manager, to see what we’ve seen in the last two games, I want a reaction and a response from the players.

Hinshelwood also believed that, despite not changing his approach during his tenure, Worthing may be suffering from the ‘fear’ of losing.

He added: “I don’t think how we work or what we’ve done has altered in any way.

“From day one I’ve been erratic on the sidelines and desperate for my side to win. That’s not changed in any way.

“I get furious when I see players not executing simple things that I know they can do. I’d like to think my players don’t play with fear but that might have crept in over the last two games.“

SEE ALSO Hinshelwood defends tactical tweaks in Worthing's defeat at Bishop's Stortford | Former manager rates Worthing team of the early 1990s the best side he was involved with | Sussex football's best supported sides: Which non-league teams have the highest average home attendance this season?The Mackerel Men’s next two fixtures will be pivotal if they are to confirm their place in the play-offs.

Good Friday sees Worthing host third-placed Tonbridge Angels, before they travel to 17th-placed Corinthian Casuals on Easter Monday.

Hinshelwood has predicted a stern test against both teams as the Mackerel Men look to rediscover their fine form.

With a game against play-off rivals Tonbridge Angels always looking to be hard-fought, Hinshelwood believed that teams in the division’s lower-half shouldn’t be dismissed as guaranteed wins.

He said: “It’s always a tough test against Steve (McKimm, Angels boss). His Tonbridge side are always a tough side to play against.

“He’s done it over numerous years at this level now and produced teams that can compete.

“All the teams throughout the division can beat each other on any given day. It’s tough and it has been all season. All we know is that we’ve got two home games out of the three left and it’s still in our hands.

“That’s the positives we have to take into the final three games.”

Worthing have been boosted by the news that midfielder Danny Barker may be available for selection for the trip to Casuals.

That means going into these two fixtures, Hinshelwood will at last be able to select from a full compliment of players.