MANAGER Ashley Vickers shouldered the blame for last night’s heavy defeat at home to Eastleigh.

The Magpies’ 4-0 loss at the hands of the Spitfires was their biggest at the Avenue Stadium since going down to the same team, by the exact same scoreline, on January 31, 2009.

And although far from impressed with the performance of his players, the county town chief took full responsibility for their second defeat of the new Blue Square Bet South season.

Vickers, whose side lost at Bromley on the opening day last Saturday, said: “The game at Bromley was a platform from which we could build but we didn’t do it. We had Eastleigh watched, we knew their strengths but we were unable to negate those strengths.

“Having said that, I’m not going to lambast the boys because that’s not my style. I’m as gutted as anyone but when I took on this job I said that when we lose it’s down to me.

“I pick the team, they go out there and give their best endeavours, and then it’s down to me. That’s all there is to it.

“I trust those players implicitly, on occasions you will come up against teams who are better and who pay out a lot more money than we do.

“But we conceded bad goals. Regan Coward has had nothing to do bar pick the ball out of his net four times.

“People probably expected me to be punching walls in the dressing room afterwards but the game had gone and there is no point in me destroying players – there is no value in it and the players know what is acceptable and what isn’t.

“These setbacks will bring the best out of the lads. They’ll all reflect on it, I’ll reflect on it every day until Saturday and we’ll endeavour to put it right.

“We have to come back fighting and there is no doubt in my mind that we will do that on Saturday against Woking.”

However, Vickers also suggested that changes will be made for the visit of the Cards this weekend.

He added: “I know where our weaknesses lie and there are perhaps some harsh decisions that have to be made on the back of this result.

“But I will make those for the good of the team and hopefully to get the results that we want.

“We’ve got a great a collective spirit and we have got to take this defeat on the chin, myself included.

“I will now make the necessary decisions for the next game in order to put things right. The lads understand that but I won’t lambast any one player.”