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The visitors, who are second-bottom of NPL West, won Saturday’s qualifier 3-1 on penalties after a goalless draw at Giant Axe and will host Stamford in the first round.

Boss Fell, who recently committed his future to the Dolly Blues, told the club's media team: “First half we created probably six or seven really good chances and missed a penalty.

“We were really disappointed at half-time in terms of how we played and we spoke to a few players about expectation but we didn't get any better for doing that. The second half was one of the worst performances I've seen from us.

Players look on anxiously during the penalty shootout which Lancaster lost to City of Liverpool in the FA Trophy Photo: JOSHUA BRANDWOOD

“We must have made 10-12 unforced errors in terms of kicking the ball out of play. We kicked two corners out. It needs an apology from us for the supporters because that's so far from the level and from what we expect.”

It came a week after Lancaster's FA Cup elimination by Ashton United and stretches their winless run to four games in league and cup.

Fell said of that disappointing sequence: “Let's not pretend it isn't a problem because it is and with every game it becomes a bigger issue.

"It makes the next game bigger than it should be and bigger than it needs to be.”

Two players escaped the criticism of Fell, who added: “I really feel sorry for Simon Grand, who I thought was fantastic. He blocked everything and headed everything.

“I had Dom Lawson playing really well at the other end of the pitch – though I took him off because I wanted to change what we do – but everything in between was a shambles at times.

“The players who came on didn't do enough and didn't change the game as we needed.

“The quality in training on Thursday was unbelievably high. I was phoning people to tell them how good were were and then we produce that. And we have to live with that result for 10 days now.”

That's because Saturday's scheduled opponents Ashton continue their FA Cup campaign this weekend, meaning 12th-placed Lancaster next play at home to Whitby Town in the NPL Premier next Tuesday.

Lancaster City boss Mark Fell on FA Trophy exit: One of our worst performances