GLASSBOYS boss Gary Hackett suffered a bitter-sweet week as Stourbridge fought their way back into the Southern League Premier play-off places.

A dismal 3-0 beating by probable play-off rivals Bideford was followed up with a workmanlike 4-1 win at bottom side Bashley on Tuesday night.

Hackett couldn’t hide his dismay at the manner in which his side lost out against Bideford and claimed:

“I was bitterly disappointed and so were the players. We fell below the standards I expect. We absolutely gifted Bideford all three goals and that’s something you just can’t legislate for.

“The last 20 minutes was particularly poor and I hold my hand up, because as a manager, I made mistakes.

“But there was no knee-jerk reaction. We went down to Bashley, which was a potential banana skin, and did a very professional job on them.

“The pitch was very heavy and after half time, the heavens opened. Had the game started an hour later, I don’t think we would have got through it”.

Goals from Mark Benbow, Drew Canavan, Leon Broadhurst and Chris Knight did the trick, but manager Hackett is under no illusions adding: “I know the areas we need to improve upon and I know I need to bolster the squad”.

Ryan Rowe’s return to Kidderminster Harriers is compounded further as strike partner Luke Benbow now begins a three-match ban.

Hackett hopes to have a new signing in place to face Biggleswade Town on Saturday and then back at home again on Tuesday when Truro are the visitors to Amblecote But Hackett added:

“It’s never that easy bringing new players in. Gone are the days when you could pop down to the local cafe and seal a deal. Nowadays, you deal with agents and everything has to be done properly”.

To make matters worse, central defender Nathan Bennett is sidelined with a virus, George Washbourne is suffering from glandular fever, while Sam Rock tweaked his calf warming up at Bashley.