Skipper Keith Briggs gave a sobering appraisal of Harriers' second-half showing against Mansfield on Saturday but stated that the team must go forward 'with a fresh mentality' to Wrexham on Tuesday night.

The former Stockport County captain spoke to the press promptly at the final whistle and made no excuses for the defeat, only insisting that the young group will have to stick together as this embryonic season rolls on.

For the 3-1 Aggborough reverse at the hands of the Stags, he said: "This level of football is difficult and if you're not at the top of your game and you're not as clued in as the opposition then you're going to get punished.

"We went 1-0 up and I think sometimes we need to be mentally stronger to close out the game.

"We've had a few chances to score a couple but in the second half we just didn't turn up. It's not good enough and at this level you get punished.

"Mistakes happen in football, but we know it wasn't good enough and we'll take it on the chin and get to training on Monday as a group and try and pick out a few points where we can be better and we'll take it into Tuesday because we've got a tough game against Wrexham."

The 28 year-old went on to add: "It is a brand new team and we are quite a young side but we can't use that as an excuse.

"It might not be league football but we went five games unbeaten in pre-season and didn't concede a goal so you can't use it as an excuse; the gaffer is putting his faith in us to do a job and if we aren't doing it he'll look to make changes.

"We have to go to Tuesday with a fresh mentality and try and get three points."