Everything that could have gone wrong did for Paul Phillips and Steve Halfords men at the weekend, with a sending off and first-half capitulation. Higgins knows that the level of performance was not acceptable; “It was disappointing to say the least, embarrassing even. We didn't play at the tempo the gaffer expects first half. The second half was just a shambles.”

The 23 year old centre back went on to say; “As part of the defence I hold my hands up, it was the back fours fault, we didn't defend properly and gave the lads up top little chance of winning is the game.”

Despite the defeat, Ashton United is still only two points away from the play-offs with a game in hand but Higgins knows that there is no more room for slip-ups. “Regardless of who we are playing, we can't concede sloppy goals and be 3-0 down; it gives us a massive task to get something from the game. Personally I think I've had two poor games and I can only apologise for that.”