Jay Saunders blamed bad defending for Maidstone’s 2-0 defeat at Solihull Moors.

United gifted Moors both goals from corners in the first half as pre-match optimism following last week’s win over Torquay quickly disappeared.

Boss Saunders has been trying to sign defenders for weeks and will continue to work on deals, with Saturday’s performance highlighting the need for reinforcements as United slipped back to 21st in the National League.

Scroll down for audio

Saunders said: “We gave them a leg up and at this level you can’t do that. It’s the same old thing.

“We’ve given a bad goal away after seven minutes. We’ve got to clear our lines, don’t, and they react on the second phase, and then a free header for the second goal. Two set-pieces have killed us.

“Defensively it wasn’t good enough today, and we’ve known that.

“It’s not been through a lack of effort in trying to get people through the door.

“We need to be able to defend better and at the moment it’s the same mistakes every week that are costing us.

“You warn the boys, you go through things with them, give them players to mark and when you’re getting free headers in your box it’s a case of if they can’t take that on board you have to get other people in and that’s what we’ve got to look to do because at the moment we can’t keep a clean sheet for love nor money.”

Stones lost Jamie Coyle through illness while Delano Sam-Yorke failed a fitness test on a groin injury. Ideally, Saunders would have stuck with the XI who beat Torquay.

He said: “It’s a little bit frustrating. Coyley’s been ill all week and hasn’t been able to train and then didn’t get much sleep last night, so he’s had to rule himself out, and Delano’s had a groin problem all week and had to pull out of training Thursday.

“We tried to give him a fitness test before the game but he failed it.

“I thought about chucking him on for the last 10 but he’s not right and I don’t want to aggravate it and we lose him for two or three weeks because I think he’s got a big part to play.

“It’s frustrating because we had a good performance last week and ideally you want a settled side but it wasn’t to be.”

Stones only received clearance to play loan signing Joe Pigott on the morning of the game, handing the striker his debut as a second-half substitute.

Saunders said: “With Delano missing out, I was tempted to start him but he hadn’t met anyone. He literally met everyone on the coach today and that would have been a bit harsh on him.

“In hindsight maybe I should have but with the remaining games we’ve got I think he’ll be an asset and if we can get him the right service I think he’ll get some goals for us.”

Read the match report from Maidstone's 2-0 defeat at Solihull Moors