Michael Johnson launched into a huge defence of manager Ian Allinson as St Albans City lost at home to Concord Rangers.

The keeper, who saved yet another penalty in the first half of the 1-0 defeat, feels the boss has been getting too much stick over City's form of late, which has seen them drift from the top of the table to the fringes of the play-off race.

And he says the players need to suck it up and start performing better at either end of the pitch if they are to reach the National League South post-season.

Herts Advertiser: St Albans City fell to a 1-0 home defeat to Concord Rangers.St Albans City fell to a 1-0 home defeat to Concord Rangers. (Image: Jim Standen)

He said: "I was hoping the saves I made in the first half would be important and help us get three points.

"I’m fuming and gutted. The manager gets a lot of stick for what goes on during games and results but it is not on him, it is on us as players.

"We have to take responsibility on the pitch. We make too many mistakes.

"I am at this club because of Ian and I’ll stay for as long as he is here.

Herts Advertiser: St Albans City assistant manager Chris Winton (left) and manager Ian Allinson.St Albans City assistant manager Chris Winton (left) and manager Ian Allinson. (Image: Jim Standen)

"I came because I wanted to play under him and I’ve enjoyed every second of it.

"But the way we are conceding at the moment, it is not teams scoring worldies of playing beautiful football, it is us making individual mistakes.

"It cost us against Oxford City and it has cost us again [against Concord].

"It has to stop. We have to step up as players and back our manager in the right way and it has to be through actions on the pitch.

"We look like we’ve lost a lot of confidence in front of goal. We have one striker who has got 30 goals this season but there are others who probably haven’t got enough.

"At the back, we’ve not kept enough clean sheets.

"That’s a really bad recipe but we have 11 games, 11 cup finals, and it is still in our hands."

Herts Advertiser: Alex Lankshear goes forward for St Albans City against Concord Rangers.Alex Lankshear goes forward for St Albans City against Concord Rangers. (Image: Jim Standen)

It isn't the first time the dressing room has had sharp words with each other this season and Johnson says it will happen again if needed.

He said: "Everyone can have their say. If anyone has any thoughts or opinions they need to get off their chests, they get it out.

"We are all men and it is an open dressing room.

"You have to take the rough with the smooth but it wasn’t a crisis meeting.

"Yes we’ve lost but if we win eight, we’ll still be in a good position."