Oakham United lose to Stanground Sports in the Peterborough League Premier Division

Manager Lea Jordan admitted a four-week break without a competitive clash had a massive impact on his Oakham United side in their return to action on Saturday.

The Rutland side went down to a 3-0 home loss to Stanground Sports in their first match since the end of October.

A run of postponements had left Oakham without a game for a month and they conceded three times in the opening half of Saturday's Peterborough League Premier Division match at Newton Fallowell Meadow.

Jordan said: "I'd said to the lads before the game that I was worried about fitness and match sharpness and it had a massive impact. It was our main concern and having those four weeks off has really killed us.

"We have been training but there's a massive difference between that and game-time.

"We weren't our normal selves. We lacked match sharpness and movement and it was really disappointing after the season we've had so far.

"Of course, we're going to lose games but it was disappointing to have a result like that."

Oakham had fallen behind early on with Stanground scoring twice more before the break as the visitors dominated the opening half.

United improved in the second half but a combination of good goalkeeping and missed chances denied them a way back into the contest against a Stanground side boosted by an influx of players from Deeping Rangers Reserves.

Ex-Clarets duo Modou Gaye and Snor Isham were both on target on their debuts for the visitors along with Isaac Kyereme to condemn Oakham to a third successive league loss.

Boss Jordan added: "We are in a little bit of a rut at the moment and hopefully we can start to get a run of games to boost our confidence.

"Every team has it during the season and hopefully we can start to get more minutes in the tank in the coming weeks.

"It was disappointing on Saturday and the lads know they could and should have done better but it's a learning curve.

"We're still on target for what we want to achieve this season and we've probably got more points than I expected us to have at this stage.

"We did start really well and now other teams are looking at knocking us off our perch.

"We need to be sharper and the lads realise that because teams want to knock us down a few pegs.

"We haven't picked up again and need to get out of this rut and start building again like we did at the start of the season."

The break between games has allowed Cardin Pierre-Liverpool to make a welcome return to action after a spell out injured and he came on during Saturday's defeat.

Jordan said: "Cardin played really well but, like the rest of us, needs that bit of sharpness to get back into match fitness because he's such a big player to have on board.

"He's a clever player who is experienced and, now he's back, we can work on sharpening him up."

Oakham are without a scheduled league game this weekend before returning to action on December 9 with a home match against Holbeach Reserves.

They then host Crowland Town on December 16 in the Peterborough Senior Cup ahead of a two week break over the festive period.

Jordan commented: "The games can't come quick enough for us now after Saturday. We need minutes and we need to start climbing the league table because the more games we don't have will put us behind the other teams.

"I don't want to be in a position during February or March where we are three games behind everyone else and playing catch-up.

"That's when the nerves can kick in and I'd rather be ahead than behind."