Needham Market boss Richard Wilkins has told his players they need a ‘different mindset’.

The Marketmen were beaten 3-0 at Alvechurch on Saturday – their fourth league game without a win – and Wilkins admits it was a bad day at the office, but something his team must learn from.

“At Bloomfields the boys have got a great set-up, great facilities,” Wilkins said.

“But not every ground we go to this season is going to be like that.

“There will be sloping pitches and long grass and we need a different mindset to cope.

“It’s no excuse for our defeat to Alvechurch. They deserved the win, but going into the unknown is something we have to get used to and deal with.”

Needham started the season like a train, winning their opening two games against Bedworth and Hitchin.

It’s still very early days in a new league that most people at Needham know little about.

But Wilkins feels a tad frustrated after Saturday’s clash.

“If we had taken our chances, we could well have got a point, whether we deserved a point or not,” he said.

“But we just need more of an edge, psychologically we mustn’t be beaten before we go out there.”

It’s a rest from the league this weekend as the FA Cup takes centre stage for the Bloomfields club. That in itself is a good thing with the team nursing a few injuries.

Needham travel to Step 4 Barton Rovers on Saturday in a first round qualifying fixture, and with £6,000 up for grabs for the winners the purse is a healthy one.

“The purse is a good one and not to be sniffed at that’s for sure,” Wilkins said.

“Barton will raise their game and we have got to make sure both mentally and physically we are on it.

“There will be shocks, we just must make sure it’s not us who are on the receiving end of one.”