THORNBURY Town manager Richard Joyce described the second-half performance in the 6-0 defeat to Pershore Town as "the worst I've seen in my two seasons doing the job". 

Pershore ran riot in the second-half, scoring five goals to cruise to a thumping victory, which was the heaviest experienced by Thornbury this season. 

Aidan Clark had given the visitors the lead, but the score remained just 1-0 at the break and the hosts were very much still in the game. 

But Pershore upped the ante after the break and a 29-minute hat-trick for Josh Willis, coupled with another for Clark and a stoppage-time strike from Sam Clark completed a ruthless display by Lewis Marston's men. 

"The second half performance was the worst I've seen from us in my two seasons doing the job," admitted Joyce. "If you give some of the players they have the room we did then you're going to get severely punished.

"I felt at half time that those big chances we had in the first half to get back on level terms, and perhaps even have nosed in front, we desperately needed to have taken as we know all too well how tough it is for us in this division to get on top of games.

"I think more so than ever we are seeing how the Hellenic Premier Division is continuing to quickly transition this season.

"It was teams such as ourselves who were coming up into the league two or three years ago operating with no budget, as we still do, just looking to be involved at step 5 and to hang on and find some way of establishing ourselves at the level.

"Now there are teams like Pershore, Corsham, Malvern and Worcester Raiders who are coming up to this level and with their resources, have every intention of going all the way through which for us very honest set-ups make life tough.

"We've pulled off some shocks in the past though and whoever has been in charge has done well to keep the club at this level previously so as always we keep fighting and will do everything we can to get a positive result next time around.

"We have to keep working as we always have done to continue enjoying being at this level."