COUNTY manager Peter Beadle admitted his players were 'embarrassed and ashamed' after Monday's mauling at the hands of Thurrock.

The Exiles put in a dismal performance and were lucky to escape with only a 4-1 defeat, leaving Beadle looking like a broken man.

Long after the final whistle, he sat, head bowed, in the dug-out, unable to explain how his side had imploded at such a crucial stage of the season.

"There's no place to hide, we weren't good enough and it wasn't even close," he said.

"They were quicker to the ball, they looked like they wanted it more in both boxes and we didn't look like we were going to score, whereas every time they went forward they looked like they would."

Defensively Beadle's men were given the runaround by Thurrock's pacy and inventive forwards and strikers Craig Hughes, Jermaine Clarke, Julian Alsop and Charlie Griffin once again drew a blank.

"They didn't have to work hard for their goals - we gifted them all four and that is disappointing," said Beadle. "We looked lethargic, like we were the team that had been on the bus for three hours, not Thurrock.

"We just didn't turn up to play. We were second best everywhere and we got what we deserved. The only light at the end of the tunnel is that we've got a chance to put it right against Fisher.

"If we win and we're in the play-offs this defeat will be forgotten. But it's going to be a massive test mentally and character-wise."

A win on Saturday should be enough for County to make the play-offs, providing Bishop's Stortford don't pick up big wins in their last two games, and Beadle admitted that the team owe the fans a big performance.

"There's no group of lads that want it more than this team. The supporters are entitled to their opinion and they made their feelings clear as you would expect, and rightly so.

"We're disappointed like everyone and it hurts. We're a little bit embarrassed and a little bit ashamed as well," he added.

"Nobody likes getting beat, especially in that manner, especially at home, but we've still got a chance to finish the job. It was always going to down to the last day of the season and now we have to win, simple as that."