Exeter City suffered a seventh League One defeat in eight as a series of ‘self-inflicted’ mistakes saw their recent horror run extended. The Grecians were beaten 4-1 at Stevenage on Saturday lunchtime with defensive errors costing them three of the four goals.

Josh Magennis’ penalty in the second minute had put City ahead. But that was as good as it got and within 15 minutes, Boro were ahead. Eli King with the equalizer, Jordan Roberts to make it 2-1, with both goals coming from errors at the back.

Dan Kemp sealed the win 15 minutes from time when he fired home on the rebound after his initial effort was blocked. Roberts with his second of the game – although more defensive mistakes - ended any slight hope in the latter stages.

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It is just one point from the last 24 available for Exeter, who have taken just 10 points from the last 16 games, and conceded 13 goals in the space of the last seven days. City stay 17 ^th in the League One table, but are increasingly looking over their shoulder and hoping the seven point gap to the relegation zone doesn’t narrow. Stevenage with their win rose to 11 ^th .

“In terms of the negatives, everything we are doing is self-inflicted,” manager Gary Caldwell said: “We started the game brilliantly, on the front foot, and then came in at half-time 2-1 down when we should never had be. Second half, we played well for the majority of that second half and then a self-inflicted third goal and fourth goal.

“Our problems are being caused by ourselves and we need to obviously change that very quickly. It is another disappointing result, a disappointing outcome to a game where we felt really positive and started really positive. We have to eradicate self-inflicted goals very very quickly.

“We know what the problems are and what we need to fix. It is clear what the problems are. Some of the play was good, in the final third we could be better, but our problems were self-inflicted. It has not been good enough for a while and we know why and have to fix it. We have to do something about the run we have been on. We concede because of poor actions in the game.”

After the 6-2 defeat on Tuesday night at home to Leyton Orient, Caldwell made three changes to the Exeter City side. In came a fit-again Vincent Harper, loanee Tony Yogane was given a first start, while Alex Hartridge, who returned to St James Park on loan this week, was also named in the starting line-up.

Out dropped Jake Richards and Jack Aitchison, neither of whom were in the matchday squad. Millenic Alli, who scored twice in that defeat as is City’s top scorer, was unavailable having joined Championship side Luton Town for £1.5m on Thursday. Ryan Trevitt, who returned on loan from Brentford this week as well, was on the bench.

City started brilliantly. With 40 seconds on the clock, Yogane slipped in Ilmari Niskanen who was clean through on goal. The Finn squared it to Caleb Watts and his shot was blocked. It rebounded to Ed Francis, whose effort was stopped by the hand of King.

Referee Ollie Yates pointed to the spot instantly and booked the Boro man. Up stepped Magennis to take the penalty, and the skipper sent Murphy Cooper the wrong way to score his eighth goal of the season and give Caldwell’s men the dream start.

But in the tenth minute, the hosts drew level in the simplest of circumstances. Cheick Diabate’s ball to Francis was poor and King pounced on it. He played a one-two with Louis Appere, before drilling a low finish past Joe Whitworth to make it 1-1. It has been 18 games now for City without a clean sheet.

And with 17 minutes gone, City were behind, and again, it was a terrible piece of defending. Jack McMillan’s ball to Diabate wasn’t the best, but the centre-back’s touch was woeful and Kemp robbed him. He rounded Whitworth and while Hartridge cleared the effort off the line, Roberts was able to smash home the rebound to make it 2-1.

Caldwell made one change at the break, with Trevitt replacing Watts, and the Brentford loanee had an early chance when a shot was blocked. It broke to Francis, but he slipped when shooting, and the effort went well over the crossbar.

City were edging the second half, but not creating enough – or really anything of note. And with 15 minutes to go, Stevenage got the third goal which surely wrapped up victory. City felt they should have had a free-kick for a foul on Woods, but nothing was given. Kemp danced into the box and while his first shot was blocked by Hartridge, the rebound fell to him and with Whitworth out of position having dived for the original effort, he slotted home. Caldwell was booked for his protests.

It was soon four, and a catalogue of errors again. Francis and Hartridge both went up for the same header, and were both beaten by a Stevenage man. Reid skipped past Diabate’s attempted challenge all too easily, and laid it off for Roberts who finished with aplomb.

Exeter have picked up just one point from the last 24 available and from the comfortable safety of mid-table, are starting to nervously look over their shoulder at the relegation zone. Points need to be picked up soon, and with no League One game next weekend for the Grecians because of their FA Cup exploits, that gap could be down to just four by the time they next play.

“We have to get reinforcements in,” Caldwell said with the transfer window closing on Monday “And come Tuesday, we have to come into training with reinforcements and then attack the FA Cup tie and 17 games with a better mentality.

“It’s clear we’re letting ourselves down and we have to defend better. That’s everyone, we all have to do that quickly. We have to perform better and get better results.”

Up next for Exeter City is Premier League Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup fourth round on Tuesday, February 11. With Forest third in the top flight and having put seven past Brighton today, City will have to be a lot better.