Truro City player-manager Lee Hodges was the first man to hold his hand up following Saturday's 1-0 Blue Square Bet South setback against Maidenhead United.
The 39-year-old central defender said: "We didn't play well defensively and I have to admit I thought I struggled out there on the day."
City were undone by Alex Wall's 55th-minute winner as Hodges tried to head clear a through ball rather than allow it to run on to goalkeeper Luke McCormick.
Hodges said: "I went for it and got a slight touch, which laid it up perfectly for their striker to nip in and clip it past Luke. I have had better moments, but when you are part of a team you have to look at your own performance first before looking at others."
The City boss reserved praise for returning hero Barry Hayles and strike partner Andy Watkins, as well as consistent captain Jake Ash and McCormick.
Hodges said: "We did not play well, that has to be said, first and foremost. But there was a lot going on and we still managed to hit the inside of the post through Watto [Watkins] and Barry ran his socks off for an hour and looked great – fit and hungry – and as though he had never been away.
"Ashy [Ash] played well, as ever, and Luke made a couple of cracking saves, including a brilliant one-on-one stop at the end of the game, when we were chasing the game – which is to be expected."
Ash and Les Afful tested visiting goalkeeper Jesse Jorongen, while Watkins beat the Maidenhead man with a cross-goal effort that rattled the inside of an upright.
Hodges was equally quick to point out "we came flying out of the blocks, I thought 'here we go, game on' and Watto ran through on a great ball as though he was going to score.
"Their defender hauled him back and only received a yellow card. It was a big call."
With time to reflect, Hodges also added: "With Barry back and the new owners taking over, everyone was on a high going into the game. I really don't know why we didn't get going.
"I guess for the first time in a long time we were going into a game as favourites to win and, as anyone in football will tell you – with hindsight, that is not the best way to ever go into a game.
"Certainly, next Saturday, we won't be feeling like that. It's top versus bottom and we have really got our work cut out."
City's next league match is at leaders Salisbury City, whose 2-1 win at Eastbourne Borough took them five points clear of second-placed Welling United at the summit.
Truro's defeat on Saturday came a few hours after City changed hands on Friday evening, when two local businessmen sealed a deal to buy the Cornish club.
Truro went into administration in September, following the bankruptcy of former chairman Kevin Heaney. Pete Masters, from L2 nightclub, and Philip Perryman, from A2B Taxis, are the owners of a new company – Truro City Football Club 2012.
Administrator Kate Breese said: "There have been a number of particularly complex issues surrounding the sale of the club, including issues over the ground at Treyew Road and due diligence relating to the club, but we have now resolved these matters so that a sale could complete."
Breese thanked all involved in making the deal possible and said credit was due to the players, staff and, in particular, Hodges for sticking with the club through a difficult time. "The players and staff have had a lot of uncertainty over recent history and I hope that the support that they have shown for the club will pay off for them now that the club has been sold," she said.
Although the sale has been completed, the Company Voluntary Arrangement that will allow the club to exit administration has not yet been secured. Breese said she hoped this would soon be achieved.
Masters and Perryman had lodged a £50,000 bond with the Football Conference which stopped the club being thrown out of Blue Square Bet South.
Masters said: "It has been a long few weeks, but all of the efforts put in by everyone involved have been tireless and they have culminated in the completion of the purchase of the club.
"We can all now look forward as opposed to looking back trying to rectify the issues that the club has accumulated in the past. This is our new start."
