Ebbsfleet boss Dennis Kutrieb was left embarrassed by his team’s late capitulation in a second derby defeat to rivals Dartford inside a week.

Humbled 4-1 at Stonebridge Road on Boxing Day, the Fleet lost 4-0 in the return on New Year’s Day in National League South with three goals coming in the last 16 minutes.

It had been a tight affair until that point, with key moments going against Kutrieb’s side.

Craig Tanner missed a golden chance just one minute before Dartford’s opener, Connor Essam escaped a red card for a possible professional foul before half-time and then Fleet thought they had levelled in the second half when Alex Finney’s looping header appeared to have crossed the line.

But the way they shipped two late goals hurt the Fleet boss, who until then had seen many positives from his side.

“We wanted to go a little bit more direct in behind (them), we did it a few times and three of their back four were booked - one could have been a sending-off,” said Kutrieb.

“I don’t want to sound like I always find excuses but we needed to score the first goal, it needed to be a red card, literally everything went against us.

“I think we were always in the game until the second goal, there’s always the chance to come back at 1-1, but the only thing I make a big, big point about is that we can’t fall apart after we concede the second goal.

“This was the main point for me, it’s not good enough. We have to grow and be better but until the second goal we were in the game and we created enough to score.

“It's maybe the first time in two and a half years where I feel really embarrassed because it was not good enough, especially after the second goal you could see we broke apart there.

“In the first half, we showed great fight and put it in their half. We had a few situations in their box, the big chance with Tanner that he needs to put away.

“But that’s how it is for us at the moment, we don’t score the opener and a minute later you have it in the back of your own net.”

Kutrieb admitted he could understand the frustration of Fleet fans, who have seen their side drop to third in the table after two derby defeats to Dartford with eight goals conceded in the process.

It’s been a tough month but Kutrieb knows they need to stick together.

“It’s not coming overnight, it’s a long way at the moment,” he added. “This is a tough time where we need to stay together as a club, the players, management team and fans.

“The only thing that helps at the moment is working hard, don’t lose the trust in the boys in general, no-one is not caring. I need to get them up now and make sure they are ready for the next game.

“I know the result is the only thing that matters to everyone. But I have to see the games and see what they are doing in a positive way, even in tough defeats.

“Yes, I can understand every single fan who is frustrated. The solution is we need to stick together. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves, we need to roll up our sleeves and try harder with hard work.

“It doesn’t help to put my finger on individual errors and try to make people down and find players that I can blame them I know exactly what we did right and wrong and if I want to blame someone then I blame myself.”

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Ebbsfleet lost Joe Martin and Luke O’Neill to injury early on.

Martin was ruled out of the Boxing Day clash due to injury and Kutrieb admitted it was a gamble to include him from the start.

He added: “We couldn’t pick him the last game, he felt fine in training so we said we’d go with him but it’s always a risk for players if they are not 100 per cent.

“Luke O’Neill was outstanding until we had to sub him off.”