SATURDAY'S defeat to Crawley was a disappointing result for us, especially when you consider they had only won one match away from home this season prior to that.

I think at the start of the game we played really well but, once again, we didn't take our chances.

They scored after 14 minutes and from then we just seemed to stop and huffed and puffed our way through the rest of the game.

Needless to say, the gaffer had a few choice words to say at half time!

We just seemed to lack confidence and we weren't direct enough – and that's not our style.

We passed the ball about second half, but we never really looked like scoring.

The defeat brings our losses at home this season to five.

Obviously when you play at home in front of your fans you want to do well, and if you don't they can turn on you.

But when things aren't going right it doesn't matter where you are playing, and at the moment we are going through a bit of bad form.

We've only got one point from our last four games – games that we know we should have won.

But we had a spell like this a few weeks before – the boys have just got to be strong and believe in what they do.

We know how well we are capable of playing and we know that goals and points will come.

We travel to Mansfield on Saturday in the FA Trophy First Round and we will look to go as far as we can in the cup.

Competitions like this are good because they get the club and players noticed, they generate money – and there's a trip to Wembley at the end of it!

In a way it's good to get away from the league but at the same time, we want to get points on the board.

Mansfield are fourth in the league and we know it will be a tough game.

Saturday starts a bit of an away trot for us with games at Salisbury and Kettering the following two weekends.

It's always tough playing away from home and we know it's a tough run-up to Christmas because the games come thick and fast.

But it's a time that can make or break sides – and we're hoping it'll be the making of us!