Ebbsfleet boss Dennis Kutrieb admitted his team are “desperate” to get a victory after their embarrassing home defeat to Oxford City on Saturday.

The Fleet plunged into the bottom three of the National League as they extended their winless run to seven league games.

They’ve only won one of their last 13 in the National League and have not kept a clean sheet since August.

“We need to make sure we learn quickly now as we need results desperately,” admitted Kutrieb.

“The league is much better than people think and it’s a big step. You need to get used to it.

“You get punished in this league if you make easy mistakes, that’s the massive difference. That’s the bottom line and the most important thing.

“We have to learn when is the right time to make easy decisions and not get carried away with trying to pass the ball. If you’re in trouble, you need to go long.”

Oxford raced into a two-goal lead at Stonebridge Road before Ebbsfleet midfielder Billy Clifford collected what his manager described as a “stupid” red card.

Having seen the referee brandish yellow cards at every opportunity, Kutrieb wanted his players to realise there was no chance of any leniency.

““It’s tough to take,” stated the Fleet boss. “Obviously, everyone knew how important this game was for us and how we wanted to start the game on the front foot.

“We had the ball and opened them up a few times already before we conceded the first goal, which was embarrassing to concede because we gave the ball away on the edge of our own box. Then we switched off for the corner and conceded.

“Then you could see the game change, they had more confidence and punished us again with the second shot on goal.

“It was a stupid red card for us to concede. If you see the referee like he was, you need to be careful, you need to have this awareness as a player to know you can’t do anything as I might get a yellow card.

“You need to be even more careful and it was stupid from us to concede a second yellow card in the middle of the pitch when there was no danger.

“Yes, we had before half-time a massive chance where we hit the post so we go in at half-time and say ‘make sure we stay together as a team, don’t make stupid mistakes and if we have a chance then at 2-1 there may be a way back in’. Instead, we conceded two goals straight away and it was game over.

“I was happy that they kept the ball in their own half and didn’t want to punish us more (in the last half-hour). We had a few opportunities but still couldn’t score. All over the performance wasn’t good enough.”

Kutrieb knows the buck stops with him and he took full responsibility for his team’s dire display.

On the back of a promising 2-2 draw at Hartlepool last weekend, it was a performance he didn’t see coming.

“It’s a big blow for us because everyone was so positive that we’d do it and get the win,” added Kutrieb. “But you don’t get it. You need to make it happen. You need to put the right work in and then you get the rewards.

“But regardless of who you play, if you give the ball away edge of the box for the opponent then it’s one v one against the goalkeeper then there is something wrong.

“Minute by minute it got worse as our confidence started to drop. I can’t sit here and say well done because we had five good minutes in the game - we know that and I take responsibility for it as I need to make sure we do things the right way.

“It felt like now was the time to kick on with these two home games but we need to do it on the pitch - it’s not from talking. Yes, we had a good point at Hartlepool and we should have got the win, but we can’t say it (against Oxford) because we beat ourselves.

“It’s just on us, we have lost the game and no-one else.”

Report: Ebbsfleet 0-4 Oxford City

Ebbsfleet get an immediate chance to respond when they host Maidenhead at Stonebridge Road on Tuesday night.

“We go again on Tuesday and we need to make sure we don’t make the same easy mistakes and then we have a chance to turn it in the right direction,” said Kutrieb.

“If we don’t get the red card and if, if, if….it doesn’t matter in football. You don’t need to overtalk it as we lost the game 4-0.

“We need to make sure we stay together as a team and get a good side out on Tuesday and turn things around.

“Maidenhead have two wins in a row now so they will come with confidence and we need to make sure we’re on the same page and turn it in our direction.”