Paddy Davitt King's Lynn joint boss Kevin Boon is demanding a major improvement ahead of tonight's latest UCL home test against Sleaford despite a five goal weekend salvo to sink Irchester.

Paddy Davitt

King's Lynn joint boss Kevin Boon is demanding a major improvement ahead of tonight's latest UCL home test against Sleaford despite a five goal weekend salvo to sink Irchester.

Boon accused Town's players of short-changing the 825 crowd who attended Lynn's league homecoming bow after racing into an early three goal lead before the plucky Romans scored twice.

“Don't be fooled by the result,” he said. “We had 800 plus fans turn up and pay good money and they deserve to see us perform for the full 90 minutes. Maybe going 3-0 up it was too easy for some, but its already being proved in the first week - we aren't good enough just to turn up, think we are King's Lynn, and go away with the three points. We will have to work for everything we get.

“I wasn't happy with that performance. I wasn't happy with the work rate or the discipline shown by a lot of the players. Full credit to Irchester because at 3-0 down they kept working, kept coming at us and they got their rewards. We have conceded two sloppy goals but I am not laying the blame at the defence - I thought Martin McNeil was excellent all game - we just have to defend better from the front and across midfield. I want them to take a long hard look at themselves because in certain respects that was unacceptable. We didn't win enough second balls and we didn't close them down high enough up the pitch.”

McNeil and captain Jack Defty are both nursing ankle injuries but should feature. Influential attacker Steve Spriggs has returned to training but is poised for a reserve run out later this week.

“Spriggsy will be training before the game but he will probably need 90 minutes in the reserves and then we'll look to get him involved after the weekend,” said Boon. “Myself and Setch (Gary Setchell) want a settled side for the FA Vase game against Dereham.

“The management have a standard we want to set and it's up to these players to match it. We said a few things after the game on Saturday but when you have won like that they are probably not going to take them on board. Pre-season wasn't about results but I thought right throughout those games we showed an appetite and a hunger and we have to get back to that. When points are at stake and sides have put us under physical pressure and got in our faces, that seems to have upset us.”

Boon is unconcerned by Sleaford's 4-0 FA Cup exit at the weekend after two previous opening UCL home wins.

“I don't read too much into the FA Cup results because that is on the day,” he said. “They had won two league games and they will come full of confidence and, just like Irchester, they will not lie down so we have to be prepared for that.”

Read club official Mark Hearle's exclusive column only on edp24.co.uk/sport