In his pre-match interview with BBC Hereford and Worcester Bulls manager Graham Turner stressed the need for his defence to realise that they are up against good League One forwards this season.
He may feel the need to repeat himself after yesterday's defeat at Southend where poor defending allowed the home side to score the only goal of the game.
"We have got to improve defensively - there is not a shadow of a doubt about that. We need to take that into the game at Southend," said Turner.
"To be fair we are playing against better players now and it might take a few weeks to get used to the pace of those better quality players that we are coming up against.
"There are a number of players that have coped coming out of the Conference into the second division. It took them a season to get used to it.
"Now we have to step up again. We've got to be a little bit alert, a little bit more focused. If you lose concentration for a moment you can be punished.
"The higher up you go, the more you are punished for your mistakes."
Just one failure to deal with what appeared to be a reasonably easy ball resulted in Southend's goal yesterday. In some ways that was hard on the Bulls who played some quite good football for much of the game.
Graham Turner said as much after the game.
"Our defending was not the best at times. We were a little bit loose but on the ball, when we had the ball, I thought we passed it well.
"I think it's a travesty that we didn't get anything on the scoreboard.
"We just need to get our defending side of the game better."
The problem Turner faces is that after what on paper was a game that the Bulls should have taken something from, the next two games will be thought as being even more difficult - Scunthorpe at home then Leeds away.
19 Bristol Rovers 6 1 5
20 Colchester 5 -2 5
21 Northampton 5 -2 5
22 Huddersfield 6 -3 5
23 Hereford 6 -6 4
24 Cheltenham 6 -12 3
Text at top (next game etc)
Next Game: Marine At Edgar Street On Saturday 9th November At 3.00pm