MARLOW suffered successive away losses this week to make it ten games without a win and two points from the last 30.

But manager Mark Bartley says staying in the Southern League Central division was the aimand on that front it’s job done.

Blues were beaten 4-1 at Egham on Saturday and went down to Barton Rovers by the same margin four days later to make it five defeats in a row.

Bartley said: “I think it’s been a combination of things; one of them is that we’re safe and one or two of the players might have taken their foot off the gas.

“Psychologically they were tuned in to staying up and have maybe switched off now.

“Also, the games have come so thickly – we’ve played five games in 11 days and it’s taken a toll on the players.

“I had to make seven changes from Saturday and the team that played on Saturday had five changes from the team before. We’re down to the bare bones.

“There have been one or two performances I’ve not been happy with and I’ve told them that, but we wanted to stay in the league and we’ve done that. Mathamatically we’re safe.

“Many of these boys are playing at this level for the first time and I wanted to give them the chance after getting promotion last season.

“But we’re trying to build. We’re a work in progress.”

Marlow take on Northwood on Saturday.