CHURCH Stretton boss Scott Peever has challenged his ‘flat-track bullies’ to become ‘big-game players’ ahead of their latest West Midlands Division Two six-pointer.

Stretton thumped basement side AFC Bridgnorth Development 6-1 to stay on the heels of the top two – despite a first-half performance that Peever labelled the worst of his reign.

Five-goal hero James Hill sparked the recovery, while Owen Holdsworth also netted but Peever was unhappy with an opening 40 minutes he termed ‘absolutely dreadful’.

This Saturday, Stretton, in third, host second-placed AFC Bentley, hoping to improve a record of one point from a possible nine against the top two so far, a pattern troubling Peever.

He said: “It would be a nice if we could win a ‘big one’ because it was our results against Gornal and Darlaston (last season’s top two) that cost us the league last year.

“We seem to be flat-track bullies in that we beat the worst teams but not the top sides – so far this season we drew at Bentley when we should have won and have been edged out twice by Coven.

“These games are six-pointers and we need to start producing in big matches.

“We are paying the price for a poor pre-season – it was very hit and miss in terms of turnout and performance, and our fitness has suffered.

“After nearly going up last year, you expect to be up there again but our performances so far haven’t warranted being in that bracket.

“We have a squad capable of it but, taking this season at face value, we are not one of the better teams in the division and we have to find a way of turning that around."