Cutting out the individual errors that have blighted the early part of Fakenham Town's season will be key to their hopes of making progress in 2013/14, according to boss Wayne Anderson.

The Ghosts had shipped nine goals in their three games prior to last night's home Thurlow Nunn First Division fixture with Downham Town. A case can be made for each one to go down in the 'could have been prevented' category, culminating in Saturday's 4-1 defeat away to Huntingdon Town in the extra preliminary round of the FA Cup.

'We made some really silly individual mistakes that we have got to cut out,' said Anderson.

'Last season we did not look like we would concede a goal but this season we are looking a bit rusty at the back, and I think it is just down to individual mistakes. To be fair there is a lot of pressure on the boys with people saying we are going to finish in the top three or four and they have got to get their heads screwed on properly and get back to focusing on their individual performances, rather than worrying about everyone else around them.

'I think we've got to play at a high tempo and I don't think we've been doing that – we've been too relaxed at times, mking silly individual mistakes. Last Wednesday over at Dereham (Reserves, drew 2-2) we looked more compact, worked hard for each other and didn't make any silly errors. OK, we gave two sloppy goals away, but we had a good shape. On Saturday in the FA Cup we made too many errors through our shape and didn't look comfortable.'

Fakenham got off to a flying start away to Step Five Huntingdon and deservedly led through a Robbie Harris goal after nine minutes. But Declan Rogers and Stuart Eason netted within five minutes of each other shortly before the half-hour mark to put the hosts in front and the same pair scored in the second period to make it 4-1.

The fourth goal, particularly, was a defensive nightmare but Anderson felt the eventual result was harsh on his team.

He said: 'I think the scoreline did not do us justice as we had as much play as they did in the first half.

'In the first 20 minutes we looked like we might go on to be two or three goals ahead by half-time having gone in front with Robbie Harris's goal. They got their noses back in the game and got themselves a goal and pushed on from there, and I don't think our concentration levels were right.'

Fakenham are next in action on Saturday afternoon when they welcome Cornard United to Clipbush Park.

But on August 31 they have a day off due to their FA Cup exit so they won't play again until September 3 when they travel to local rivals Swaffham Town – who Huntingdon now play in the cup after the Pedlars beat higher-level Wisbech Town on Saturday.