Manager Nikki Bull says he is prepared to bring in new faces in an attempt to re-invigorate his Margate squad for the final eight games of the Vanarama National League South season.

Saturday's hugely disappointing 2-0 defeat to previously struggling Oxford City at Hartsdown Park was Margate's fourth in a row and their second in succession at home.

The Blues failed to even muster a shot on target against a side that had gone eight league matches without a win, and afterwards boss Bull admitted the players appear to have lost their spark.

Bull, whose side are now down to 11th, explained: "I've got to be honest, I thought it was flat today. The game had a real end-of-season feel to it and there's too much of the season left for that to be happening.

"Players might look at our position, and think the play-offs are gone, we're pretty much safe and they go into auto pilot and just get through games but I can't really allow that to happen.

"It was flat and there was no edge to us. We had probably 10 or 15 long throws and a number of corners but we didn't make the keeper work. We didn't ever look like scoring."

Bull said uncertainty about his and some of the players' futures wasn't helping but he also said that should not be used as an excuse for recent poor performances.

He added: "In this football the minute you drop your standards, even if it's only slightly, you lose games.

"I keep saying, it's about the mindset, the mentality, having that edge to your game and the drive and we haven't had that the last couple of weeks. It's definitely time now to try and bring in some new faces. I'll sit down with the club and see if we can do it."

Gate finished the match with 10 men after the 74th minute dismissal of defender Jake Goodman for bringing down Oxford substitute Marlon Jackson.

It was their fourth sending-off in as many matches after previous reds for Charlie Wassmer (Eastbourne Borough), Lewis Taylor (Sutton) and Glenn Wilson (Maidenhead).

Bull, however, denied that his team had a disciplinary problem and said he hopes Saturday's referee Elliot Kaye will have another look at the Goodman decision.

He explained: "I've spoken to the ref and asked him to look at it on Monday because I definitely feel it will be overturned on appeal.

"Their lad (Jackson) slipped, did his hamstring on the way down, as Jake went to close him down and there was a coming together. I think they both slipped and once the ref sees it he'll rescind it.

"You look at four reds and you'd think there was a problem with discipline but there's not. There's no problem with discipline if you analyse the incidents individually. It's just bad decision-making it's not a lack of discipline."