Ebbsfleet boss Daryl McMahon made no excuses after his team crashed out of the FA Cup on Saturday.

The Fleet went down 2-1 at Ryman League Premier Division Merstham and McMahon admitted that the better team won.

“I thought, especially in the first half, that Merstham deserved to win the game,” he said.

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“We weren’t good enough, without a doubt. We weren’t good in the first half. I think the goal maybe glossed over the performance because I don’t think the performance was anywhere near the standard that we’ve shown in the last six or seven weeks.

“It was poor and below-par. We lacked energy and intensity, all the stuff that we’ve been good at.

“The second half was slightly better and Dean Rance was outstanding when he went on. He gave us a bit of drive and we could have got a goal but to be fair to Merstham they put their bodies on the line and defended really well.

“We can gloss over it and look for excuses but it wasn’t good enough.”

Honest McMahon felt it was difficult to work out why Fleet were lacking their usual intensity and felt his team were well off the pace, especially in the first 45 minutes.

“In the first half we carried six or seven players and no team at any level is good enough to do that, let alone our level,” he stated.

“We’ve had all the plaudits in the last six or seven weeks, we’ve been outstanding and we’ve got to take this one on the chin and come back.

“I wasn’t happy at half-time. It’s the FA Cup, a big competition and the fans didn’t deserve that performance in the first half. It was totally out of character.

“Everyone has an off-day, it’s not ideal it was today but it happens at any level of football. In the FA Cup there are upsets every year and we’re the victim of one today.”

McMahon refused to lay any blame for their exit at the door of referee Andrew Laver.

“I like this referee,” he added. “I don’t want to be slagging off officials, it’s not my style. I’d rather say good luck to Merstham.

“I’m not going to have a go at officials. From where I am it was offside and a handball but it’s irrelevant as we weren’t good enough anyway.”