CARL MAGNAY admits Hartlepool United’s players were left embarrassed on Saturday.

Pools crumbled to a humiliating 6-1 defeat at Stevenage, losing to a team who conceded five in defeat at Grimsby the previous week.

Returning from a rib injury, Magnay played centre-half alongside Scott Harrison but the back four was ripped apart by a direct and strong-running home side.

"It won't be acceptable to mope at all,’’ he mused. "We don't want anyone to feel sorry for us, we don't deserve that.

"Our fans certainly won't give us any sympathy and rightly so, what happened was unacceptable.

"It might not sound right to say it but you can't go picking the bones out of that.

"That was such a heavy defeat that you have to forget about it at all costs.

"We missed the experience at the heart of the defence especially someone like Rob Jones at set-pieces we were certainly vulnerable.

"We'll have to see if him or Batesy is available, but the lads who are out there, including myself, have to be better.’’

Captain for the day, it was one to forget for the defender, who added: "We are embarrassed, disappointed.

"It was a bizarre day, you start well and look so superior with the ball

"But for the next 70 minutes we were too easy to play through.

"Stevenage had a bit of a basic approach, long balls, but we couldn't cope with that.

"Yes, we missed the attributes of Batesy, Rob, Toto, but still the boys who were in there, including myself, need to deal with it better.

"The dressing room was a place of frustration, anger and embarrassment.

"It's horrible, this sort of result is unthinkable, I've never taken a beating like this in my career. I will take a long, hard look at myself.

"We have to try to rally around, put this behind us and move forward.

"It's bizarre. We've done nothing different, we were prepared, we're always put in nice hotels, eat good food, well looked after, we're very privileged at Hartlepool United.

"Before the game, we were all very confident and the first 15-20 minutes those feelings were justified.

"Early doors it seemed so good but that first goal seemed a huge psychological blow.’’