STEVE Castle will spend the summer looking to address his side s lack of goals. The City boss has been frustrated after seeing his side fail to score in their last two outings. Castle s side didn t register a shot on target during their 3-0 defeat at East

STEVE Castle will spend the summer looking to address his side's lack of goals.

The City boss has been frustrated after seeing his side fail to score in their last two outings.

Castle's side didn't register a shot on target during their 3-0 defeat at Eastleigh and the boss says it's something that needs to be addressed for next season.

Speaking to The Herts Advertiser he said: "What's got to be addressed, something for next season, is our lack of goals. Even in our good runs, we've had a good couple of consecutive runs and we still weren't scoring freely. We battered a couple of teams at certain times, like Bognor, Fisher and even Eastleigh, but other than that it's been 1-0s and 2-1s and we haven't really convincingly been putting teams away and for the talent we've got in that dressing room that's slightly disappointing."

Castle recalled Gary Cohen to the starting lineup in an attempt to change City's fortunes in front of goal but to no avail.

The 43-year old believes that the Spitfires' desire to win was the reason they came out on top and the City boss has challenged his players to retain that desire until the end of the season.

"We did speak only a couple of weeks ago about AFC Wimbledon not having a shot against us, well you ain't going to score a goal it's as simple as that. I'm not the most intelligent lad in the world but I do know that much. They've had four or five opportunities, we can talk about the penalty but I thought their desire to win a football game, and that means in the final third, was superior to ours."

"I think we're all intent, one to finish as high as possible but to not let things peter out. I don't think they did but it was that desire. Whether you can keep that desire when there is nothing going, I think that is with all due respect and I've been fortunate enough to have been a professional, but that is the professionalism that should come out in these lads.

"They've got it. It's an individual thing that regardless of the score they want to go and win a game of football and I want to win a game of tiddlywinks it doesn't matter what it is and that's what they've got to do from now to the end of the season."

Tuesday's defeat was the first time that City have been beaten soundly this season and Castle was keen to point out that his side have competed well against the league's other top sides.

"I think that's the first time we've been beaten by three clear goals all season. We've played Hampton & Richmond who are fighting for the title, AFC Wimbledon once, and even Chelmsford, who were the better team on the day even that was a 2-1 scoreline so we've always been in with a chance: today we weren't. They've had the opportunities and put them in the back of the net."

Castle was disappointed with the penalty decision given against Adam Everitt but admitted that it mattered little because the game was already lost.

"I thought it was half and half, one was pushing the other and it was a home side's decision. He's let a few things go. I didn't think it was a penalty."

Paul Bastock didn't make the long journey down to Eastleigh on Tuesday night and Castle says the veteran goalkeeper's decision was fully justified.

"Paul Bastock is very, very keen to get himself back in. He wasn't here today, with the journey I think it's fully justified him doing probably an eight and a half hour round trip to be on the bench because Lee's [Butcher] justified keeping his place."

Butcher's loan deal is set to expire this weekend.