March boss frustrated with his players after Northampton Sileby Rangers defeat - and is after a reaction in Cambs Invitation Cup clash against Histon

March Town manager Ashley Taylor says his squad has been told some "honest words" after a disappointing 3-2 defeat at Northampton Sileby Rangers at the weekend.

The fourth-placed Hares are now just two points clear of the teams chasing a United Counties Premier South play-off place with nine games remaining after Saturday's loss.

An angry Taylor said: "They deserved the win, I've got no complaints about that.

"The lads have tried to blame the referee but it isn't the referee's fault, albeit he didn't have the best of games.

"When you give teams three goals, one at the start of the first half and another one after a minute of the second half you are just making the game hard for yourselves.

"We haven't played well as a team, we've had moments in the game but haven't played anywhere near the levels we can do.

"We're trying to finish as high as we can in the play-off positions but when you are giving teams three goals we don't deserve to be in there.

"Today's performance we looked like a mid-table team. What frustrates me is that we've been playing well, showing good energy and fight and today we serve up that.

"I've just said to the lads that I don't want this team to keep having this game every four or five games and that's the reason why we are not near the top of the league.

"We seem to have a tendency where we have a game like this where we are just not there and just want to cruise.

"There have been some honest words said to the players in there and now it's about moving forward to Tuesday night."

Ben Fitzjohn gave Rangers a fifth-minute lead only for Josh Burrows to pull The Hares level 12 minutes later with his fifth goal of the campaign.

Luke Stevens made it 2-1 soon after the restart but Matthew Foy again levelled for the away team after 66 minutes with his 11th of the season.

Lamin Jammeh sealed the win for Sileby - who have taken four points off the Hares this season - in the 74th minute.

"It's one game of football but I was having this same conversation after the game at Eynesbury, where it was exactly the same," added a frustrated Taylor.

"We looked at one or two things and changed a few things after that defeat and it had been working, but today it has just happened again.

"It wasn't anything tactical in the game, it was just a case of us making the same silly mistakes. It's a good pitch here but we didn't play well enough on it or use it.

"We have not shown our technical capabilities, we've made bad decisions and made the wrong type of pass. We just haven't been clever enough.

Taylor is looking for an immediate reaction from his players when they entertain Histon in the Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup tomorrow night (Tuesday) before a tough trip to third-place Rugby Borough on Saturday.

The Hares are already through to the final of the Hinchingbrooke Cup having beaten St Neots on penalties.

March Town: Gill, Henderson (Williams), Brumby, Foy, Emmington, Tait (Green), Burrows, Biggs (Gillies), Allen, Cotton (Escorcio), Saunders (Withers).

Star man: Toby Allen.

Attendance: 94