JON Underwood admits that Slough Town were lucky to come away with a point after a ragged performance in a 1-1 draw at Chesham United on Bank Holiday Monday.
Charlie Mpi looped in a header five minutes from time to cancel out a Dave Pearce goal and send the travelling Rebels fans home happy.
However, Underwood has warned Slough that they need to show more character and leadership or run the risk of being punished in the Southern Premier Division.
Rebels' joint-boss said: "We got very ragged and were anything but compact in midfield to be honest. We got lucky with the amount of balls that flew across the face of goal.
"To be fair the players needed some home truths to be said and we did get a really positive reaction. We started the second-half strongly and probably had two or three half-chances.
"We were attacking more and looked fairly in control of the game, but then Chesham score a goal that was just down to really poor defending.
"We stood on the sideline and weren't happy with how we set up for the long throw in terms of our shape and marking. We didn't deal with the first ball and their man was allowed to turn and get a shot away. It was really weak defending from us.
"All that positive start to the second-half goes out of the window at that point. It took a good while then to get any kind of foothold in the game. It rocked us and that's the concern.
"It's about how quickly you go from everything being fine to being a little bit ragged. Our reaction was to get ragged and that's not good enough.
"We need to show more character than that. We need to have more leadership and can't afford to go ragged in this league because you end up getting punished."
Putting praise on goal hero Mpi, the Slough supremo added: "We didn't get punished on Monday and ended-up hanging in there. I'm delighted that Charlie got his goal because he was a really bright spark for us.
"He frightened their centre-halves to death every time we got a ball down the sides or in behind them. His pace is frightening, he chases things down and is a very positive lad.
"It was a great header. It was a looping cross from Parsons and there was no kind of pace on the ball, so Charlie had to use his neck muscles and guide it into the corner. I'm delighted with Charlie because he absolutely deserved that goal."
The draw means that Slough have made a modest start to the season taking just six points from seven matches, and Underwood knows that is not good enough.
He said: "We do think that we need to tweak a couple of things and Monday only confirmed that really. It's not where we wanted to be at this point.
"Our job is to get results and six points isn't good enough. We need to find a way to get results because one win from seven isn't good enough."