Corinthian-Casuals Assistant Manager Dan Pringle has called on his side to get “back to basics”, as the Casuals suffered a fifth straight defeat at home to Margate - writes Joshua Doherty.

The Tolworth outfit were two goals behind at half time courtesy of strikes from Kaddell Daniel and Noel Leighton, with the latter making it three after breaking through seven minutes after half-time.

The defeat means Corinthian-Casuals have slipped to 17th in the table. They are just seven points clear of the bottom three, ahead of an away trip to promotion chasing Haringey on Saturday.

“It wasn’t a lack of character today. I think we just lacked the know how," Pringle explained.

"I don’t think man-for-man they were a better team than us, but we could just hear them talking throughout, always communicating. They knew how to play the game. They played to their strengths and fully deserved their win.”

He continued, “We kept running, all the way to the end. Even at three nil, we were trying to get back into the game. We could have easily let them gone on and score 4, 5 or 6 and been embarrassed but we didn't.

"I can’t question the character today, and with the situation at the club, we know it its all about character. We are still very much looking up, rather than down, seeing whats ahead. We are not downbeat at all, we never are. We always stay level after a defeat and we never go in shouting and balling as it is not constructive.

“We have however highlighted some things we need to improve. We’ll watch it back, train next week and work out where we are short. We are all learning; James (Bracken) and I are still learning and we need to look at ourselves before the players. When you are in the position we are now, the only thing you can do is work hard. I don’t think we are here due to a lack of quality, or effort.

“We need to start keeping clean sheets - we've conceded too many goals. We need to get back to basics, keep the ball out of our net. Then we only need one to win the game, rather than conceding two or three and looking to our forward to get more. That is not sustainable way of playing unless you are top of the league with strikers on £6-700 a week. We need some clean sheets and build from there. With no budget, we should be bottom, I think people forget that.

“We lost 3-0 to Margate today, but it wasn’t so long ago we were losing by three or four to the teams in the leagues below and fighting relegation. It's good that we have changed the mentality, but at the same time we are working with no budget. James and I couldn’t put an ounce more work in if we wanted. We have the players we have and try and improve and go from there.

"However, we look at the teams in front of us and think we are better, we can climb up the table and now we just need to go on a run and finish strong, which we both think we can do.”

Up next for Casuals is Haringey Borough, who sit second in the table, before the re-arranged match at home to 10th placed Lewes the following Tuesday.

Commenting on the matches, Pringle added: “I’m fully confident that we could be sat here next week with six points on the board from the two games, and suddenly we are a bit more comfortable in the table."