Tshikuna managed to get on the scoresheet in the second half to halve the deficit to 2-1, but a late strike from Southend’s Sam Austin doubled the lead for the hosts and they took all three points.

Tshikuna said: “Lots of positives to take from it but ultimately we’ve lost again, which is a disappointment. I feel like the boys dug deep, we worked so hard to keep it at 0-0 for 65 minutes and then conceded goals again.”

Both Tshikuna, along with manager Andy Peaks, felt that individual errors are still present in the squad and stressed the importance to get rid of them.

He said: “The gaffer has touched on it a lot, the skipper has touched on it a lot. It’s just errors and mistakes. We don’t know how to eradicate them at the minute. We’re trying to do the basics and I think you could see that in the performance today, we were putting it in good areas, and just once again, more mistakes and you just concede a goal like that in those minutes where you can put them under pressure is a huge disappointment.”

Tamworth are next in action on Saturday lunchtime when they host Wealdstone at the H.D. Ricketts Community Stadium. Tshikuna ensured that there’d be a way through the difficult patch of form at the club and stressed the importance of removing individual errors.

“We’ve got to stick together. The season won’t be defined by today or Saturday against Harrogate. These are top sides who are looking to go into League Two next season and looking to win the league. We’re not going to cry over spilt milk, but something needs to change and needs to change quickly. We’ve got a game in a few days against Wealdstone, and we’ve got to put it right then."