ANGRY Stourport Swifts manager Rod Brown has warned his underperforming players that he will wield the axe.

Brown was annoyed to see his side produce a lacklustre display on Tuesday night as the Walshes Meadow outfit lost 1-0 to Westfields in the Polymac League Cup.

It means Swifts, who are tenth in the Midlands Football League, have very little to play for except the highest possible finish.

But Brown has been concerned about Stourport’s inconsistency and the attitude of some of his squad.

He said: “We were very poor in the first half and didn’t get a sniff of the ball.

“I rallied the lads at half-time and we were much better but this inconsistency is happening too often.

“It’s not a lack of technical ability, far from it in fact, but there has been a lack of application by some of the players. It’s not just the younger ones either.

“I am a passionate guy and I like my teams to play with passion and it’s not good enough. I am prepared to make changes to the team if things don’t improve.

“We would have to improve dramatically to finish in the top six at the moment.”

Brown though was quick to praise his defence, adding: “I must say that my keeper Brendan Bunn as well as Paul Hurrell, Jamie Willetts and Michael Briscoe are an example to the rest of my players. Their attitudes have been exemplary.”

Swifts’ cup exit came on the back of a 2-0 win at Dunkirk on Saturday, with John Griffin and Rory Curis on target.

They now face mid-table Shepshed Dynamo at home on Saturday (3pm ko) before entertaining Alvechurch next Tuesday (7.45pm ko).

Jamie Hyde is expected to have recovered from an injury which kept him out of Tuesday’s game.

Brown has also drafted in rookies Jack Hickman and Harry Beaumont, who was previously at Bishop’s Cleeve and is studying at University of Worcester.