Witham Town manager Adam Flint said some of his players needed a “kick up the backside” after seeing them beaten 1-0 at Bury Town in Bostik League division north.

Following a defeat by Ware and a draw at rock-bottom side Cheshunt, it was a third consecutive game without a win for Witham and Flint was left feeling frustrated.

The game’s deciding moment came in the 66th minute when Darren Mills fired home for the hosts, but Flint felt he shouldn’t have been on the pitch at the time.

Mills had already been cautioned in the first half and the Town boss felt he should have been issued a second yellow card for a challenge before the break.

Referee Abi Marriott opted only to speak to the Bury striker on the second occasion, but the fact that he went on to score the winner only rubbed salt in the wound for Flint.

He said: “I think (Witham keeper) Bobby Mason had more to do but I don’t think they were the better team.

“Maybe that’s me having blinkers on, but it’s disappointing.

“We just huffed and puffed really.

“A few of them just need a kick up the backside to be honest.

“It was just disappointing that we didn’t close them down for their goal that was scored by a guy who shouldn’t have been on the pitch in my opinion.

“The trouble is this year, we have dropped so many silly points.

“I’m sure other managers say the same thing but I couldn’t stand there at Bury and say ‘fair play to them, they’ve scored a good goal to beat us’.

“People don’t score worldy goals against us – they are scrappy goals like that one was.”

Elsewhere in division north, there was a welcome return to winning ways for HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS.

Swifts had gone eight games without a victory in all competitions prior to the visit of Norwich United but they posted three points on the board for the first time since New Year’s Day as they won 3-1.

Harrison Chatting put Swifts ahead in the 32nd minute, but they were pegged back by an Adam Hipperson strike six minutes later as it remained level at the break.

That parity lasted just a minute after the restart, though, as Juan Luque put Heybridge ahead and a third from Matthew Price ensured the result seven minutes from the end.