Neil Aspin's men need seven points from three games

Harrogate Town manager Neil Aspin blamed a "very poor" display for Saturday's 3-1 defeat at AFC Telford.

Town led after just 13 seconds through Chris Bettney, only for the game to turn on Telford's 27th minute penalty.

Aspin called the penalty award, given for a foul on Matty Lewis, "a terrible decision," but he refused to use that as an excuse for the defeat.

He told BBC Radio York: "We were second to the ball, gave them too much space, and let them run the show."

The defeat has not damaged Town's play-off hopes from Blue Square North too badly, because two of the teams just behind them, Nuneaton and Southport, also dropped points. But Aspin is worried about Barrow who jumped up to fifth, and into the play-off zone for the first time, after winning 5-0 away at Redditch.

If you keep on not producing then you don't deserve to be in the play-offs Neil Aspin

If Town make the play-offs they could face Telford again. And Aspin says his defenders will have to do better against the two Telford strikers.

"We have defended well this season," he said. "But against Telford we didn't do that."

Town, who need seven points from their last three games to guarantee a play-off spot, are now are at home to struggling Hucknall on Saturday. But Aspin knows his team's home form is poor.

"If you keep on not producing then you don't deserve to be in the play-offs," he admitted. "If we pick up three points on Saturday, you can look at the league table and then you know exactly what you've got to do with two games to go.

"But we've got to get the three points."