PAUL Sturrock has warned his Town side "the gloves are off", slamming Saturday's Vale Park debacle as the worst display in his County Ground tenure.

The Town boss struggled to explain the 2-1 defeat at lowly Port Vale but insisted many more performances like that and they would soon be fighting against relegation.

Lee Peacock's 19th-minute equaliser briefly gave the visitors hope in the Potteries, after Luke Rodgers had scored the opener from the penalty spot, but Danny Whitaker's 26th-minute winner was the least the hosts deserved.

Sturrock revealed afterwards defender Sam Colllins would be returning to Hull, after ending his month's loan spell, but admitted Saturday's display had given him plenty to think about.

He said: "It was very disappointing. We have got a travelling fan base who have come here on a very very mucky day and in the end there was only one team who went out there to win the football game.

"That was probably the poorest indidvidually and collectively we have played since I have been here. Our total mental approach to the game was wrong from the first minute.

"We can tell, tell, tell and tell but at the end of the day they have to take things in. The horse has bolted by the time they have lifted their game. In the end we cannot play the way we did when the other team had the ball and expect to win football games."

Town went into Saturday's clash on the back of a two-match winning run, sitting pretty in seventh in League One, but Sturrock has warned they will quickly slide down the table with displays like that.

He said: "If people carry on with that mental approach it won't be long before we are second from bottom in the league. My job is to make sure that does not happen.

"I think there are a few that are complacent with their position in the team and I can assure you I will be working very hard to try and sort out things.

"There is obviously an opportunity for players to come in and stake a claim. I want a squad of players in contention and who know there are players challenging.

"At this minute there are one or two who don't see themselves coming out of the team. But the gloves are off as far as that is concerned."

Sam Collins said his Town goodbye as a late substitute, with Sturrock admitting it is only financial circumstances that have prevented him from extending his stay.

He said: "Sam is a centre back with vast experience and I feel at this minute we are a little short. Jerel is carrying an injury, Jamie is miles away so we have not too much coverage so he would have been a good addition.

"The problem we have as a defence is Sam will go back now, which is a big disappointment to me but that is the situation we are in as far as finances are concerned.

"It is personnel in defence I am going to have to have a real close look at because that was unacceptable on Saturday as a defensive unit."

He continued: "There were no plus points at all, there is no one out there I would give pass marks to.

"If that has not brought people back to earth we are in serious trouble. If that occurs on a regular basis we are going to be at the wrong end of the league.

"I am past throwing tea cups around. At my age you don't want to get too excited.

"There is no point because things are said in the heat of the moment. I will have my say in Monday's meeting."