Alton lost 2-1 at home to Epsom & Ewell in the Combined Counties Premier Division South on November 26.

Before a crowd of 138, Jason Bloor put the visitors ahead in the 27th minute and Conrad David Essilfie-Conduah made it 2-0 after 53 minutes. Malachi Thomas pulled one back in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Brewers manager Kevin Adair was at a loss to explain the contrast between this performance and his side’s battling comeback for a draw against Corinthian-Casuals in the face of Storm Bert the previous Saturday.

He said: “It was a very disappointing evening and these are tough times. Things just seem to keep going against us at the moment.

“It was a better performance on Saturday in really bad conditions. We played well, the energy was good and we applied ourselves.

“Then on Tuesday we threw the handbag straight back out of the window and looked half the side we did on Saturday.

“There was no desire, we failed to impose ourselves and we played like it was a pre-season friendly.

“In the last half-hour we created seven chances but this is Step 5 football and teams at this level don’t let you back into games. These are resilient, hard-working, honest teams and we’re not matching that.

“We have a young group of players but we can’t say that as a reason every week. Even our goal was purely a consolation. We never looked like we were back in the game.

“The level of performance was not good enough. The less said, probably the better.”

Adair felt his relatively inexperienced team needed a few lessons in the darker arts.

He said: “It’s really tough for us at the minute. We are naive in controlling games, slowing the game down, being a bit clever.

“Teams come to us and we lose ten balls out of the ground with them slowing the game down. That’s the problem with youngsters. It’s down to us to teach them that side of the game.

“They’re coming out of academies with talent and good engines, but they’re not so good tactically or physically. That’s what we’ve got to work with. It’s the nature of the game.”

The manager felt it was his responsibility to keep up the morale of a team struggling near the foot of the table.

He said: “It’s my duty to approach every game in a positive manner but it’s a case of just finding your way out of a hole at the moment.

“Our hole is going on a bit longer than we would like. No-one’s justifying their place in the side, no-one is nailed on to play.

“We will shuffle things around a bit but the lads have to be positive as well. We have to assume we’re going to get something.”

Alton’s next game is away to Sheerwater on December 14 at 3pm. They travel to Harefield United in the second round of the Cherry Red Records Premier Challenge Cup on December 17 at 7.45pm.