Joint Blackstones boss Lee Clarke is hoping his side’s first defeat of the season is just a blip rather than a reality check.

After three successive home victories, Stones slumped to a 5-0 away defeat at Anstey Nomads on Tuesday night.

Clarke offered no excuses for the below-par performance which has seen Stones drop down to fifth place in Division One of the United Counties League.

He said: “I don’t want to take anything away from Anstey because they were very good.

“But we have only been at about 60 or 70 per cent in the other games and on Tuesday none of us were at it while they all were.

“Given the quality in their side it would have been hard enough as it was, but none of us were at the races.

“It was just one of those days. It felt a bit flat before the game and, although you never really know how it will work out, only one or two players came out with any credit.

“We were below-par, but we haven’t become a bad side overnight even if it does show we are still lacking a bit in certain areas.

“We were disappointed in the manner of Tuesday night, but we would probably have taken three wins from the first four games.

“There were no excuses. We’ve just got to make sure it was only a blip rather than a reality check.”

Anstey broke the deadlock midway through the opening period when Corey Armeni netted from a rebound after Joe Papworth had gone close for Stones moments earlier.

Cosmos Matwasa doubled the Anstey advantage with a solo strike before the break and then three minutes into the second period a speculative cross was parried into his own net by Stones goalkeeper Aaron Bellairs.

Matwasa’s second on 55 minutes and an Ashley Day penalty six minutes later made it a long drive back to Stamford for the visitors.

Clarke continued: “We needed to stay in the game at 2-0 and one more goal was always going to change it. At 3-0 it was like men against boys.

“It was the toughest game we’ve played so far. We knew they were going to be the strongest of the new sides in the division and they look like being a team who will be in and around the top five.”

Stones: Bellairs, Bates, Wilmer, Pell, Simpson, Butler (Buttery), Porter, Moore-Papworth, Edmondson (C Clarke), L Clarke (Goldson-Williams), Fox. Subs not used: Rudman, Cowles.

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