WHILE the play-offs may be a tall order this time round, Maurice Malpas believes he needs to add height to his Town side if they are to measure up to the best that League One has to offer next season.

Malpas, pictured below, believes his troops have the ability to tower over any opponent on their day, but says a lack of physical presence means they have come up short too often when defending set pieces in recent weeks.

Two headers, from a cross and a corner, saw Town only come away with a point from their best performance of the season at home against Carlisle on Saturday. And Malpas revealed that, following conversations with opposition bosses, adding a presence to the side will be near the top of his priorities come the summer.

"I've got decisions to make at the end of the season about players," he said.

"I look at every game and one of the things I sometimes think is that we're too small, and I'm looking at that for next season.

"I've spoken to the last two or three managers, the ones that talk football-sense to me.

"That was one of the things they said to us - that we have a lack of height sometimes.

"We've obviously got to get a bigger squad for next season in terms of numbers and height.

"I would like to get a physically bigger team and a bigger squad.

"I've analysed the number of goals we've lost from set-pieces, like on Saturday, and it's scary.

"That's something that if we were more physical or a bigger team, we would be able to stop that. We lost two set-pieces at Oldham, one on Saturday, one against Northampton, and that's probably one of the things that irks me.

"It's the one time the ball is stationary - you can stand and look at it. It is probably the easiest time when you can pick someone up."

Malpas believes their League One rivals are picking up on Town's nervousness at free-kicks and corners.

But while he admits they need an injection of size, he is refusing to let it compromise a passing style which has started to blossom in recent weeks.

"The lads have got to be able to play football. I don't want to be a team who lashes it up the park.

"I've never had the luxury of having someone the size of Barry Corr, two or three of them in my team.

"I feel at times we've destroyed teams, but they've just sat back and said we'll see how you get on, and we'll play you at set-pieces.' That's the impression I'm getting from one or two managers.

"They realise if they allow us to play then we will play, but they also realise they've got opportunities at set-pieces."