Caddis points to lack of desire as Hereford drop into relegation zone

Paul Caddis, centre, said Hereford have a mentality issue

Hereford manager Paul Caddis has said a lack of desire is hampering his side who now look set to be dragged into a relegation battle unless improvements finally come.

While Hereford went into the break level as Andy Williams's looped effort cancelled out Anjola Popoola's opener after just four minutes, three goals for the hosts in the second half put even a point out of Hereford's reach.

One of those goals in the 4-2 defeat came from a set piece, which the downbeat Scot said has become "a bit of a theme".

"Just a desire to mark your man and keep the ball out the net," he said in his post-match interview.

"It's happened way too often, different people as well. It's spread right across the team and it's become a thing now. Then to go and concede another one so soon after, which again, we've done time and time again this year. 

"You give yourself a real mountain to climb. We thought, first half, Chorley started well, then I thought we got a goal back and came into the game. But it was sort of a non-event, the first half.

"We've got a mentality issue because we keep conceding goals very, very early on."

Asked where it comes from, Caddis reply: "Honestly, I'm unsure at the moment because it's not like we are getting absolutely battered in those early moments. It's two, three, four, five minutes into the game.

"So, it's nothing to do with tactics. It's nothing to do with formations or anything like that. It's just an individual desire to do your job from the off and we've struggled for the full season with that."

The result leaves Hereford in the bottom four and they face a daunting prospect of the Boxing Day derby against Kidderminster Harriers - and side who beat AFC Fylde 1-0 on Saturday, causing them to drop to second.

The BBC's Carson Wishart asked whether Caddis and the coaching team can do anything to improve things from the first whistle, to which Caddis said: "Trust me, Carson, we look nonstop at what we can do.

"We've changed a little bit in the last couple of weeks. It's got us a little bit more success.

"I'll probably get slaughtered for coming out and saying that the early part of the season that we were more possession-based. It wasn't working because we were losing games and we've got a little bit bigger, a little bit more direct and keep the ball away from a goal to be brutally honest.

"That's worked the last four out of the last five games. We wanted to do that again. We set out to do that, but when you're on the pitch, individuals have got to take responsibility."

While Caddis said Hereford did well to get back into the game thanks to Williams' goal, he admitted: "We can't keep doing that though. We can't keep trying to get back into games. 

"We have to go and take a lead in the game. It's really difficult and it's the frustration in the dressing room."