HIGHWORTH Town manager Jeff Roberts admits his side need to learn from their defensive lapses if they are to find consistency in the second half of the season.

The Elms boss was left bemused by his side’s second half performance last weekend as they shared the spoils is a 12-goal thriller with Highmoor-Ibis.

Highworth, who currently sit fifth in the Hellenic League Premier Division, travel to Ardley United tomorrow, a side they drew 2-2 with earlier in the season.

However, Ardley are on a fine run of form recently, having won their last six league games on the bounce, and sit just a place and three points behind Highworth, with a game in hand.

Roberts knows his side must improve on their showing last weekend and having had a week to prepare, expects his side to be well drilled as they head to Oxfordshire.

“We’ll get them into training and try and pick up on the mistakes that we made last Saturday and go from there,”

“We’ve got a tough one, Ardley look like they have brought a few players in and upped their playing budget so it will be a difficult game.

“We don’t want to be disheartened about it, we just need to pick up why we have been conceding goals, especially six at home.

“I think we have got two players from last season so it was always going to be a rebuilding season and to try and keep what we’ve got for next season.

“We know there are a few areas that we need to strengthen up but if somebody had said to me top 10 then I think I would have been happy.

“It’s not gone too badly, from the end of August, we have only lost four games.

“We need to analyse every game really and take that into the next game and realise that we need to do this, this and this.”

Meanwhile, Royal Wootton Bassett Town head to Highmoor-Ibis looking to build on their 3-1 victory away to Ascot United last weekend.

Rich Hunter’s side were 3-2 winners in the reverse fixture last November.