St Albans City manager David Howell has admitted “there is something wrong” with his side after they suffered their heaviest home defeat for five years.

The Saints slumped to a 6-1 loss against Barwell at Clarence Park on Saturday which left Howell with plenty to think about. Michael Harriman was sent off in the first half before City found themselves 3-0 down at half time.

Ryan Watts pulled one back from the penalty spot but the Saints were picked off at will as they endured their biggest defeat since Howell took over in the summer.

Howell said: “There is obviously something wrong with the team. I’ve got to look at getting a team together and that’s the problem. Just as you think things are going in the right direction we always seem to press the self destruct button.

“Our performance at Leamington was encouraging despite the defeat and if you had paused the game and said we lost 6-1 you wouldn’t have believed it. If things don't go your way it doesn’t mean to say you give the opposition an easy afternoon and that’s what we did.

“It’s obviously not pleasing when you lose a match 6-1 and it’s not pleasing when your away record is as poor as ours and the goals that we've conceded. But ultimately I just feel that we need to be stronger and work together as a team.

“It’s all very well having individual brilliance and creating chances but unless we take them or get a return from them the game isn’t over. The lads are a bit shocked because they did feel they should have got something out of the game.

“It looked like every time they attacked we were stretched especially towards the latter stages of the second half but we were too vulnerable and open.

“It’s all very well going gung ho to get back into the game but we’ve still got to be organised and solid and able to keep ourselves in a game. If a game runs away from you it’s almost impossible.”

Despite the one-sided nature of the scoreline, Howell felt his team had opportunites and were punished to failing to make the most of their possession and territory.

The former Harrow Borough boss said: “Up to the first goal that they scored I thought we were actually comfortable and probably had the better chances. Where we shot ourselves in the foot was the first goal was a bad goal defensively to give away.

“It was a poor poor goal and up to that point we had some good possession and were comfortable.

“I still felt we could get ourselves back in the game and then there was the penalty and the sending off which meant it was going to be pretty tough from then. We had to reshuffle things once Michael was sent off but unfortunately they got another goal before the half and suddenly it was 3-0.

“The lads kept fighting and we pulled one back before half time and there was a belief that we could get back into the game. At half time the lads actually believed they could do something even with ten men.

“We went out all guns blazing at the start of the second half and if we had the rub of the green we maybe would have caught them out.

“Unfortunately we missed those opportunities to put a bit of pressure on them. The game stretched a bit and we were a little fatigued and it was just painful to watch.

“Even though we did that we were still trying to play and pull a goal back. Sometimes we were a little bit gung ho and didn’t work strongly enough with ten men as a team. In the end that kind of showed and Barwell waited and just picked us off really.”

Howell, whose side face a trip to Hitchin Town this weekend, has brought in two players with left-back Narada Bernard coming on during the second half and experienced striker Simon Martin returning for yet another spell with the Saints.

“Narada was here pre-season and played one or two games but had an ankle injury and he was always on the radar,” Howell said.

“He’s now back fit and ready. But with Paul Furlong suspended and Rob being out for so long I just felt we were lacking a target man who could hold the ball up for us.

“I think it will take Rob a few games to get up to speed and I don’t think the likes of Sakho Bakare are ready for that responsibility yet. So that was the idea behind Simon. I know he has history here with St Albans and he’s been training for a couple of weeks. I thought he held the ball up and tried to bring people in. It was an opportunity for Simon if he wants to have a future here this season.”