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Ebbsfleet United boss Daryl McMahon on the 2-0 home defeat to Harrogate Town

Daryl McMahon criticised Ebbsfleet's decision-making after their latest home defeat.

Fleet lost 2-0 to Harrogate on Saturday after another impotent display in front of goal.

They failed to work James Belshaw in the Town goal and have managed just nine efforts on target in six hours of football at Stonebridge Road.

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Daryl McMahon on the touchline during Ebbsfleet's 2-0 defeat at home to Harrogate Picture: Steve Crispe
Daryl McMahon on the touchline during Ebbsfleet's 2-0 defeat at home to Harrogate Picture: Steve Crispe

This was a sixth defeat in eight home games and Fleet boss Daryl McMahon said: "It's hurting us a lot. It's painful, I'm not going to lie.

"It's unusual, it's abnormal, for me being a manager, it's strange.

"Simple little things that we're normally good at, we're not at the minute and that's confidence and believing. When you go a goal down, sometimes it's hard to be mentally strong on the pitch.

"Did the goal affect us? Probably not. I think the second one did.

"After the first one we were still in the game and defended all right for the majority of the game but in those key moments we have to be better.

"How many times did we get into positions and kick it out of the ground or into the stand? We're snatching at things because we're so desperate to win or to hit the target.

"Decision-making goes when you're not at your most confident. You end up lashing at things or trying to be too careful and you make an extra pass when you could have a shot.

"Those little things, when you're not flowing at home, at the minute, we're seeing in abundance.

"You go away from home last week and who knows what score the game could have been because we're in a flow and we're playing well."

Ebbsfleet were dominant in that 3-1 win at Dagenham but quickly ran out of ideas in the driving rain on Saturday.

McMahon admitted: "Harrogate played the conditions better than us.

"I don't think there was a lot between the teams. It was a pretty drab game

"Their first goal was a foul (by Callum Howe) on Dave Winfield, he pushed two hands in his back and the second goal, they've taken a quick set-piece and we've switched off from it.

"That was it between the teams, nothing else really happened."

Ebbsfleet are 14th in the National League, eight points adrift of the play-off places with almost a third of the season gone.

"It's just disappointing," McMahon said. "We don't get the rub of the green and towards the end of the game some players were lacking a bit of confidence, which happens.

"It's human nature, you make a wrong decision because you're so desperate to make a right one and win the game. We have to stop chasing and just let it come to us by doing the right things.

"All you can do is roll your sleeves up and got to the next one. That's what I do and that's what we will do.

"To be fair to the players, you've seen them come out and work ever so hard in every game we've played here.

"I don't think we've been outworked by anyone at home but we need to do a bit more."

Jack Payne rejoins the Ebbsfleet squad for training on Monday after completing a month on loan at Eastleigh.

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