Turner's side are second-bottom in League One

Hereford United manager Graham Turner believes his team's first-half defending was to blame for their 3-0 home defeat to Bristol Rovers.

Rickie Lambert grabbed a hat-trick for the visitors, leaving the Bulls boss fuming.

"You can't defend like we did in the first half and hope to get away with it," he told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

"The wall wasn't right for the first goal. Then we allowed Lambert too much room for the second one.

Turner added: "We were defensively quite poor and we had to try and rally the troops at half-time.

"I thought the key to the second half was just keeping the shape, keeping the discipline, working a bit harder and hoping to get back in the game.

"We were unfortunate with the one when Matt Done hit the post at a key time, had he have scored that one we might have made a game of it."

Turner said he had to make changes at half-time with Richard Rose replacing Kris Taylor and Dean Beckwith coming on for Godwin Antwi.

It's no good kicking people in the teeth at the moment, what we need to do is stay together and stay strong Graham Turner

"We were poor, there was no disguising it, we brought two on and we looked more solid in the second half."

Turner will now have the task of picking the players up for another home game against Southend on Saturday.

And he added: "It's no good kicking people in the teeth at the moment, what we need to do is stay together and stay strong.

"It's a big test of character and on Thursday morning we have got to be right back at it and players have to be lifted for Saturday."

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