Craig Elliott feels his Shaw Lane Aquaforce side can no longer get automatic promotion after what he described as the worst performance since he became manager nearly two years ago.
The Ducks suffered their first home league defeat of the season on Tuesday as they went down 2-0 to Lincoln United.
"I was utterly embarrassed and ashamed by the players' attitude," said Elliott.
"That wasn't a Craig Elliott performance and I have let the players know that. "Our response to going 2-0 down was awful. The players just gave up. You can carry one or two players but we were carrying seven, eight or nine. "Some of that team will not play for me again after that."
After playing just twice in 52 days due to games being called off, Aquaforce are 26 points behind Stafford Rangers – who occupy the one promotion spot – which is ten more points than the gap between the third-placed Ducks and the relegation zone.
Although they have seven games in hand on the leaders, Elliott suggested his side can no longer finish first. He said they will instead have to battle for one of the four play-off spots against a host of sides below them including Tuesday's winners Lincoln who are now level with them on points.
The Ducks boss said: "It has been totally disheartening training while other teams are playing and winning games. "It's difficult to keep the spirits up. Sometimes it is fate that a team gets a lot of games in like Stafford have had.
"We were a point behind them but they have kicked on because their games have not been called off like ours. Now it's a matter of us securing a play-off spot. "After the Lincoln game I am not even thinking about coming first."
Aquaforce looked sluggish in their first home game since November. Lincoln scored in the tenth minute with a tap-in after a cross from the right then doubled their lead after half an hour with a simple one-on-one finish following a counter-attack. The Ducks improved after the break and Alex Davidson had a shot cleared off the line but the visitors had several other chances and deserved their win.
