Gary McCann was left struggling for answers following the defeat at Burgess Hill. He said, "The performance at Burgess Hill was as head-scratching as it was disappointing.

"We lacked aggression, physicality and competitiveness. Maybe the two demanding road trips played its part.

"That said, our energy levels were good. The fact that we were still in the game right up to the final kick speaks volumes of us.

"The game proved that a winning team that performed so well Saturday sometimes needs to be changed, and there was one enforced change. We had seven players missing, including our captain. It just shows how much we missed him, not just for his play, but also for his leadership and inspiration.

"We were far too loose in possession and our quality on the ball was very poor. Burgess Hill won every contest for the first ball and also the second one – and it is impossible to win games when this happens.

"Billy Collings kept us in the game in the first half. He made a number of superb saves and if Keagan Cole had scored in stoppage time, we might have snatched a point, one which would have been undeserved."