STEVE Wilkes says a heavy defeat at Burscough in midweek has given him cause for thought and may tempt him to recruit more new players.

The Northwich Victoria manager made more than a dozen signings in the summer to give his side a chance to challenge for promotion.

However two early losses, to City of Liverpool and then the Linnets, have persuaded him to reflect.

“These lads have a point to prove to me and also themselves,” he said.

“We’ve had an ok start, and we’ve tried not to take much notice of people on the outside claiming we were favourites to win the league.

“We were 16th last season – that’s a huge leap to make.

“What we are doing is learning as a group and that takes time.

“However a result like the one we had in midweek does indicate to me that we perhaps don’t have enough depth in the squad just yet.”

He told the Guardian that the North West Counties League is Vics’ priority this season – their ‘bread and butter’ – and that the first game between the team mattered more.

Their best performance so far this season has been in the FA Cup though when they eliminated Widnes after extra-time in an extra preliminary round replay.

Wilkes said: “It was a huge win for us.

“You could see that in the dressing room after the game; the lads were on a real high and the feeling was very much ‘our season starts here’.

“The belief is there now in a way it wasn’t last year, and we’d have probably been knocked out in the same circumstances.”

He has moved already to bolster his options in midfield after signing Theo Brierley on loan from Buxton.

Dom Craig (ankle) is nursing a knock, although he will be available again for selection this weekend, and Matty Clarke is not yet back in training after recovering from an injury sustained last season.

John Bennett is expected to miss most of the campaign after having an operation on his knee.

Wilkes said: “We’re probably not in a position yet where we can make three or four changes and be as strong.

“That will come.

“We’ll be tested again this weekend with an FA Cup tie and then a derby against 1874 Northwich on Monday.

“Three games in six days is a big ask for us – it is for any side at this level – and we’ll manage that as best we can.”