Ebbsfleet boss Dennis Kutrieb admitted that their focus on defending might have halted their attacking play on Saturday.

The Fleet struggled to create many clear-cut chances against a Hartlepool side, who kept only their second clean sheet in the National League this season to record a 1-0 win at Stonebridge Road.

“Maybe when we defend the whole week and work on our shape and defending and not conceding many goals, you could see the element of attacking and offensive play got a little bit lost which I didn’t like,” conceded the Fleet boss.

“We should still be good enough to create chances.

“The defensive display was all right but we need to make sure we have more intent going forward and try to score goals.

“If you’re not on top of your own performances and try and get some wins together, then it’s not free-flowing.

“It’s not easy that we make four, five, six passes and we put it in the back of the net.

“Everyone is focused on doing things right, making things happen and rather than be positive and make something right, they try not to do something wrong.

“This is maybe the approach where we need to make sure we stay on top of ourselves. I can’t get carried away, it’s not good enough we got a 1-0 defeat, especially at home as we need our wins and the three points on the board.”

Hartlepool announced Kevin Phillips as their new head coach during the first half, with the new man watching from the stands but visiting the away changing room before the game and at half-time.

However, the Fleet boss didn’t see that his presence made a significant difference to Hartlepool.

“I couldn’t see that they raised their game,” explained Kutrieb. “I could see that they punished us for being stupid and making an easy mistake.

“Apart from that, I think we had most of the time the ball. In the first half, we had two good chances, second half I was not happy until we conceded the goal and we woke up and created a few things.

“We wanted to make their goalkeeper work but we haven’t enough. I get all the things that if you focus on defending and that’s what the boys did good again, I don’t know how often he will score from there again and it was a stupid mistake from us as we gave the ball away without any need to.”

Report: Ebbsfleet 0-1 Hartlepool

Ebbsfleet now face two massive away games this week, at Maidenhead on Tuesday and against fellow newly-promoted side Oxford City on Saturday.

“We wanted to win the game, we lost the game so we’re very frustrated,” added Kutrieb.

“The good thing is we can go again in three days.

“Two crucial games for us in the next seven days and we have to be up for it.”