Graham Westley has told his players to improve their game or they will be ‘out of work in the summer’ after watching his side get knocked out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy on Tuesday evening.

Boro fell behind to a goal at Swindon Town through a first-half set piece before pulling level towards the end of the game courtesy of Francois Zoko, only to then go out 3-1 on penalties with Luke Freeman and Filipe Morais seeing their spot kicks saved while Ben Chorley blasted his over the bar.

Speaking about the performance Westley was left fuming, saying that his team didn’t do the basics and that he wasn’t in football to ‘mess about’.

“To show the lack of discipline at the set piece that we conceded from is crass,” Westley said.

“We are an organised side, we’ve always been an organised side. We can’t go forward if we aren’t going to do our basic jobs and we didn’t do our basic jobs.

“Our basic jobs have cost us and that disappoints me even more.

“I’m not used to having sides that show a lack of discipline at set plays.

“I’m used to having sides that show a lot of discipline at set pieces.

“The journey is a tough one that we’re on… people have got to learn and learn quickly or else they will be out of work in the summer.

“The change of attitude [in the game] changed in the second half.

“The players realised in the second half that we weren’t here to mess about.

“We are a management and a football club that wants to win trophies. You don’t win trophies by playing on the back foot and giving people respect.

“It’s not what I breed, it’s not what I want to see and people who are giving people too much respect won’t stay around at the club. There’s no question about that.

“I’m not here to mess about. I don’t like ‘being’ in football, I like winning.”

Stevenage travel to Port Vale in League 1 on Saturday with Boro now facing seven away matches in their next 10 games after the FA Cup third round draw on Sunday saw Westley’s men picked out of the hat away to Doncaster Rovers on January 4.