David Unsworth apologised to supporters after a 3-0 defeat at Bromley put Oldham Athletic in the bottom four.

Latics are now without a win in seven games, in what has fast become a disastrous start to a season in which they were tipped for promotion back to the Football League.

Oldham trailed 2-0 at the break at Hayes Lane, with Josh Passley scoring his first for Bromley just before the half-hour after seizing on a loose ball in the box, and Sam Woods doubling their advantage from close range in the 41st minute to give Unsworth's men a mountain to climb in the second half.

Mat Hudson appeared to give Latics a lifeline when he saved a penalty from Michael Cheek before the hour. But the let-off was short lived as, despite some attacking changes with Kurt Willoughby and James Norwood brought into the action, Corey Whitely wrapped the game up after the visitors gave the ball away cheaply.

"It's tough to take," said Unsworth, whose position is coming under increasing pressure as Latics slip down the table.

"For what it's worth I apologise to the fans coming down, it's nowhere near the level we need or want to be, and it was a tough, long afternoon.

"The goals were really poor, individual errors for all three really.

"It's going to be a difficult afternoon enough without gifting them three goals. We've gifted a decent team at this level three goals today and it makes it a long, long way back, especially going in at half-time with the goals we conceded.

"You're hoping to get back into the game early in the second half, you make changes, but it was a tough afternoon."

Unsworth made three changes to the side that recorded a goalless draw at home to Dorking the previous weekend, and added: "Two were forced, Norwood has been ill for the majority of the week, Brennan (Dickenson) has had a personal issue that he's had to attend to for most of the week.

"There are no excuses, we were second best today and that's the biggest disappointment of it all.

"I think in all of the games that we've come up a little bit short we've had great opportunities but today, no.

"I'll defend my players always but unfortunately as a group we came up short today."

Looking ahead to back-to-back home games against York, on Tuesday, and Oxford City, next Saturday, Unsworth said: "You've just got to keep going, you've got to quickly dust yourselves down and go again.

"You've got to be a man and stand up and you've got to take what the fans are dishing out at us at the moment because they have every right to do that.

"We've got to step up. We've all got to take our responsibility and that includes the players and myself.

"I'll stand in front and I'll say it's all my responsibility. Everything is my responsibility.

"I said at the very beginning I will always shoulder that, and when the players perform and do well they enjoy that.

"I don't (revel) in the glory, I want to put it on the players, and I'm so desperate for this group of players to do well.

"We've got a game Tuesday, a game Saturday - big games, massive games for us, for the club, for everyone, and we've got to show the resilience and the mental toughness and the self confidence to win those two games.

"I'll stand up and be counted, I just need a few people to follow me."