Carshalton Athletic manager Hayden Bird brushed aside all talk of relegation by insisting Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Harlow Town was simply a bad day at the office for his side.

The Robins conceded two late goals to slump to a frustrating loss that leaves them hovering above the Ryman Premier Division drop zone.

And Bird admitted the performance left a lot to be desired.

He said: "It was a disappointing display. We have been playing well over the past few weeks but we were a little bit off colour.

"We were solid but we never really got our passing going. We never got out of first gear.

"Having said all that, relegation is not even a consideration of mine."

Carshalton are struggling with a raft of injuries that has dampened the promise shown over the Christmas period.

And Bird bemoaned his luck as his patched-up side stumbled to defeat.

He added: "What the game showed us is that we are still in need of strength in depth in all areas.

"There is a lot of effort but we are missing a bit of quality. We are trying to bring new players in but it is not that easy."

The Robins welcome high-flying Horsham this Saturday as they seek to pull away from the bottom four.

And Bird is looking forward to the clash with the playoff hopefuls.

He said: "I think Horsham are a side who will end up in the play-offs.

"It will be a good test for us but it is a challenge we are excited about.

"The boys are still positive - we want to be looking up in the league not worrying about what is happening below us, and this is a great chance to start that."