CAPTAIN Matt Foord admitted his Bracknell Bees team had only themselves to blame for their 6-3 defeat by Sheffield Steeldogs on Sunday, writes Dave Wright.

In a match between the league’s bottom two sides, Bees twice led by two goals before conceding four in the last 15 minutes.

“We let ourselves down a little bit,” said Foord.

“We did not execute what we had been told to do before the game.

“At 3-1 up we made a couple of individual errors and it was game over really.

“They (Sheffield) have got some good players and they stepped it up another level and scored, while we didn’t.”

Bees, however, are not being helped by a bad run of injuries.

Josh Smith fractured his jaw in the 6-3 defeat at league runners-up Milton Keynes Lightning on Saturday, while Harvey Stead damaged his shoulder during the Sheffield match.

Bees were also missing player-coach Lukas Smital (groin), Scott Spearing (knee), David Gaborcik (concussion) and Rupert Quiney (shoulder).

“It meant we were running with four D-men and nine forwards at the start of the game and ended up with four and eight, so it was a short bench,” added Foord.

“Yes, we have got a lot of injuries, but I don’t think that was an excuse for us losing. We didn’t step up to the plate really.

“We needed to step up to the next gear, but we didn’t do it.”

Bees are now 10 points adrift at the foot of the table with just one match remaining – home to seventh-placed Hull Pirates this Saturday (6pm).