St Albans City manager Ian Allinson says his players have to work harder and be braver if they are to arrest their current slump in form.

A 2-1 defeat to Oxford City on New Year's Day saw the Saints fall to their third straight defeat and drop to third in the National League South.

The result left Allinson frustrated and he is eager for City to move on from the disappointment as quickly as possible.

"We have to evolve ourselves, be better and work hard in training to stop what is happening with the three defeats," Allinson said.

"We have to be bigger and braver to make sure this doesn't happen again."

City left themselves facing an uphill challenge after going behind to Reece Fleet's sixth minute goal on Monday.

Veteran striker Jamie Cureton levelled shortly after half-time but Stephane Ngamvoulou's strike ensured City left Oxford empty handed.

The manner of the first goal provided particular irritation for Allinson after his side failed to mark properly from a corner.

"We didn't pick up from the corner and didn't do our jobs properly. Everybody is given a job before the game and all the players have a body to pick up," he said.

"It is disappointing because you want to go into these games and not give anything away too quickly.

"We wanted to still be in the game after 20 or 25 minutes and we weren't so we had to go and chase the game and left ourselves a little bit exposed."

The Clarence Park club's run of form can be mitigated to a n extent by a host of injuries and suspensions which has shorn Allinson of some key first team figures.

Allinson is acutely aware of the situation and says City will do all they can to strengthen, while also imploring his current squad to improve on their form.

"Injuries and suspensions will catch up with us and some of these players have played a lot of football already this season," he explained.

"Whether the players are tired or not applying themselves to the level we need, that is down to me to sort out.

"The squad at the moment isn't strong enough and we have to bring one or two new bodies in."

City will hope to turn a corner with a positive result on Saturday, but face a stern test to do so as they take on league leaders Maidenhead United.

They are currently 12 points behind United, having been just six shy of the pace setters heading into the festive period.

Maidenhead come into the game at Clarence Park on the back of a 2-0 victory over Wealdstone.

The sides played out a 1-1 draw when they last faced each other in the league in September.