MILDENHALL assistant manager Ricky Cornish joked that his players had a Christmas break after two heavy defeats over the festive season. Hall succumbed 4-2 in the Boxing Day derby over Newmarket and were then thumped 6-1 by last season s champions AFC Sud

MILDENHALL assistant manager Ricky Cornish joked that his players had a Christmas break after two heavy defeats over the festive season.

Hall succumbed 4-2 in the Boxing Day derby over Newmarket and were then thumped 6-1 by last season's champions AFC Sudbury on bank holiday Monday.

"When they talk about some countries having a break over Christmas, I think we did that anyway," joked Cornish. "We were poor in both games."

While Hall were comprehensively beaten by the Jockeys - a match in which Cornish himself was sent off in the second half - he believed that the decision to dismiss Gareth Simpson in the Sudbury game for two bookable offences proved crucial to the eventual outcome. 'Hall were 1-0 up through Owen Paynter when Simpson got his marching orders in the second half.

"It was an awful decision," said Cornish. "It wasn't a physical game yet there were nine or 10 bookings. Decisions like that change games.

"I don't think Sudbury were as good as in previous years but it's hard enough playing them with 11 men."

Paynter and Gareth Simpson, from the penalty spot, got the goals for Hall in the derby day defeat at Newmarket.

"A good side doesn't become a bad side in the space of one-and-a-half weeks," said Cornish. "We'll bounce back."

The assistant manager has set his side demanding targets for the rest of the season. "I'd like us to go as far as possible in the FA Vase, win one of the cups and finish in the top six in the league," he said.

'Hall travel to Clacton Town on Saturday.