Huntingdon Town boss Jimmy Brattan has called on his players to take more pride in their performances following another heavy United Counties League Division One defeat.

Second-bottom Town were thumped 5-0 by high-flying Lutterworth Town at Jubilee Park last Saturday – a third successive league defeat and Huntingdon have conceded a staggering 18 goals during that run.

“We’re too easy to play against at the moment and that is something which has to change if we want to get ourselves up the table,” said Brattan.

“Lutterworth played with a lot of aggression and a little bit of arrogance – and they are things that we need to show.

“We win, lose or draw as a team and we need to take more responsibility as a group to try to turn our results around.

“We’ve conceded far too many goals lately and we have not defended anywhere near well enough collectively.

“We need to show a lot more fight and take a lot more pride in our performances from the first minute to the 90th minute.”

Town did enjoy some respite from their league struggles last week when recording their biggest win for almost six years. Brattan’s men thumped lower-level St Neots Town Reserves 9-2 in the opening round of the Hinchingbrooke Cup at Jubilee Park on Wednesday night.

Jamie Waterworth led the way with four goals while fellow frontman Corey Kingston hit a hat-trick against a Saints side reduced to 10 men by the dismissal of Billy Dean after half-an-hour.

Adam Richardson and Chris Down completed the scoring for a Town side who now face Stotfold, Godmanchester Rovers or Ely City in the semi-finals with intended quarter-final opponents Raunds Town having pulled out of the competition.

Huntingdon were beaten finalists in the Hinchingbrooke Cup last season when losing to higher-level Yaxley in the showpiece.

“We only made one forced change from Wednesday to Saturday, but the performances were not comparable,” added Brattan.

“We played with freedom and without fear in the Hinchingbrooke Cup, but it was clear to sense and see the element of doubt in the league.”

Brattan will hope to solve those problems when Huntingdon go to mid-table side Bugbrooke in Division One this Saturday.

They are expected to have striker Dean Giglio, who has joined from Peterborough & District League side Stilton, in their squad.