Fleet's winter blues continued as they were cut down to size by high-flying Carlisle in their Conference match at Stonebridge Road on Saturday.

Manager Andy Ford, who has been frustrated in his recent attempts to sign reinforcements, paid tribute to Carlisle after the game, proclaiming them "the best side we have played so far this season".

But he also bemoaned his side's defending, claiming individual and collective errors had effectively handed the opposition victory.

Fleet's best player was midfielder Andy Drury, but they lacked any real bite up front, where Roy Essandoh and Justin Skinner, playing out of position, failed to form an understanding.

Skinner picked up an ankle injury and was replaced by Manny Omoyimni with ten minutes remaining, but by then the game had already been lost.

The result leaves Ford's men in ninth position after a flying start had seen them climb as high as third, but consolidation rather than promotion now appears to be the more realistic target.

On Saturday, a crowd of just more than 2,000 were silenced as early as the fifth minute, when Carlisle striker Karl Hawley beat two defenders before rolling the ball past Paul Wilkerson in the Gravesend goal.

After 35 minutes James Pinnock drew the sides level, when he drilled the ball home from 12 yards to register his first goal of the season.

But, in spite of some half-chances after the break, that was as good as it got for Fleet, who conceded two further goals scored by Hawley and Peter Murphy.

This Saturday, Fleet are not in action owing to their elimination from the FA Cup at the hands of recently-banrupt Hornchurch.