Ben Acquaye grabbed the goal for the Lambs late into stoppage time with a strike on the edge of the box that deflected into the bottom corner.

Peaks said: “Very disappointed and embarrassed by that performance.

“That’s not what we’ve been about the last few years. I wanted to start well based on last week. To concede in the first two minutes from our own free kick was horrendous, and it just spiralled. To concede three in the first half an hour, anywhere, is just not acceptable. It wasn’t good enough, not from the first to the last minute today.

“To be four down at half time is calamitous to be honest. It’s frustrating because you look at the data at the end. I’m not one for data, but the inroads into the box, we’ve had as many as them, but we can’t defend. We just give so many awful goals away and it can’t happen.

Ultimately, I bought in players so I have to stand up and be counted for that. We have to find a way to be better defensively because we’ve created a few chances, but you can’t defend like that. It’s schoolboy defending. I’ve told them that, and that’s not acceptable.”

Peaks also commented on the mood in the dressing room after the game.

He said: “We’ve had a chat, I’m not putting up with that.

“I’ve given people good opportunities this season and they’ve let us down too many times. I picked the team, I’m the one at the top of the tree, I’m the one that gets shot at, I’ll take that. If I’m a fan today, I’m disappointed with that. I’ve said that [in the dressing room], it’s up to me to make it better and I’ll do that. I’ve given a lot of them good opportunities now, and that’s not good enough. We’re conceding way too many goals, and we have to find a way to stop giving bad goals away.”

The Lambs were also forced into three separate substitutions today as Ben Milnes, Ryan Howley and Nathan Tshikuna were also forced off the pitch due to injury.

Peaks said: “Not ideal. Three injuries. Lost [Dan] Creaney, lost Luke Fairlamb [last week], and that’s five key players.

It doesn’t matter, we have to find a way to be better. We’ve got a squad of 24 who I believe are good enough to play in the National League. That’s why they’re at the club, that’s why I’ve signed them. When we lose players through injury, the others have to step up, and at the minute, they’re not. We’ve proved in a lot of games that we can compete with teams at the level. We’ve been unlucky in some games, but that is not acceptable.

“I apologise to the fans, they’ve come a long way to watch that, and if I was a fan, I’d be disappointed. We’ve set higher standards than them over the years, and we’ll get back to them standards.”