TIVIDALE boss Dean Whitehouse has demanded more commitment from his players after telling them football is a “matter of life and death.”

Whitehouse watched his side snap a miserable run on Saturday with a 2-0 home win over Ledbury Town.

It was only The Dale’s second win in eight league games, a run which has seen them slip back into mid-table after a blistering start to their West Midlands Premier campaign.

Whitehouse believes his youthful side had begun to take things for granted and wants more effort in every game.

He said: “We have not been playing badly but we had lost the effort and desire which carried us through the early games.

“Anybody can beat anybody in this league and we have tried to get that over to the players.

“I think a few had switched off and I didn’t want that.

“I was going home after losing games and taking it out on the dog, the wife and the kids.

“The management were more bothered than the players and that is not a good way to be.

“It is life and death, this is what we do.”

Tivi lost influential skipper Sam Williams to Bloxwich but Whitehouse has added experience to the side with the arrival of former Dudley Town midfielder Rob Perks and Brett Clarke.

Stuart Evans and Bobby Radcliffe have also joined.

Whitehouse added: “I think maybe the squad was too young, we were lacking experienced heads and hopefully we have rectified that.

“One game does not make a difference but hopefully we can go on a good run now and get back up there.”

Dudley Town came back from the dead to record a 3-3 draw at Bewdley Town.

Trailing 3-1 as the game entered the final ten minutes the Robins struck twice through Danny Ashton and Mensah Kinch.

The latter was also the hero last Wednesday as he bagged both goals in a 2-1 home win over AFC Wulfrunians.

Town now sit third in the table and travel to Wednesfield on Saturday.

Dudley Sports lost 2-0 to Wellington and now travel to Bustleholme on Saturday, where they will aim to do better than Gornal Athletic, who lost 1-0 to the same opponents on Saturday.

Gornal travelled to Heath Town Rangers last night and host Lye Town on Saturday.