Ian Culverhouse wants Boston United players 'to turn up' against King's Lynn Town

Below-par United were beaten 1-0 at home to Banbury United in their last outing with Culverhouse especially disappointed by his side’s slow start.

“It was a poor first half and very pedestrian,” he said. We didn't lay a glove on them, they dominated us in and out of possession.

We got some pride back in the second half but we were far from what we wanted.

We didn’t get near them from the world go and that isn't acceptable, we have got to be better, especially at home.

“We need to start the game with intensity and we didn't do that here, we were a little bit cold.

“We upped it a bit in the second half and got amongst them but it got away from us.

“We need a response on Boxing Day and the main thing is that we turn up. We have got to ensure we are right at it.

“It's always hard when you start the game slow and it's hard to then turn it on. We have to come out of the blocks quick. We need a response.”

The Pilgrims were beaten by Jak Hickman’s 14th minute strike.

Jake Wright failed to convert Boston’s best second half chance as their four-match winning streak on home soil came to a shuddering halt.

Banbury made much of the early running on a pitch which had been covered until 6pm.

They took the lead when Giorgio Rasulo delivered from the left and Hickman steered the ball home from close-range.

The Puritans went close again when Alex Babos rattled the crossbar three minutes later.

Boston's best first half chance fell to Ben Pollock on the stroke of half-time, with the centre-half's header from a Sam McLintock free-kick nestling narrowly wide.

The home side's clearest chance of the evening arrived seven minutes after the break - but Wright chipped the ball over the crossbar after surging through one-on-one against Jack Harding.

Scott Pollock crashed an effort high and wide after meeting Wright's cutback from the left - as the Pilgrims suffered an evening to forget.