Carshalton Athletic boss Stuart Massey wants his players to toughen up in the wake of a demoralising defeat against the Ryman Premier League bottom club Cray Wanderers.

A goal in either half was enough for Cray to earn a first win in nine games, while the Robins are yet to pick up a single point during January, and draw the two clubs level on 14 points.

Massey said: "As good as we did against Harrow, we didn't do ourselves justice.

"Cray were a physical side, something we lacked in certain areas. We were also without several key players and, while that's not an excuse, we will need their experience to help get ourselves out of trouble."

Due to that last fact, Carshalton fans saw three new players handed their debuts and Massey believes they'll all contribute positively once settled.

"Marlon Patterson has already made his presence felt at training and in the dressing room, while Reece Hall needs to get games under his belt," he said.

"Mohamed Diakite's performance was a bonus because he was on show today, but he gave as good as anyone else out there."

Tommy Bradford, the Robins' top goalscorer, was named on the bench for the first time this season however, a decision Massey wrangled with long and hard in the lead up to the game.

"He has started every game this season and we felt he needed a rest," he added.

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing of course, but Tommy is only 18 years old and can't be expected to carry the hopes of this club on his shoulders."

Carshalton next play Dulwich Hamlet at home on Tuesday January 28, kick off 7.45pm.