PLYMOUTH Argyle head coach Miron Muslic has pointed to his side’s ongoing lack of consistency as key factor in their struggles, following a damaging 3-0 defeat away to Swansea City on Wednesday evening.

The loss leaves Argyle rooted to the foot of the Sky Bet Championship table, six points adrift of safety, with just five games of the season remaining.

Muslic admitted his team’s inability to string together solid performances is costing them dear in their fight for survival.

A disastrous first half saw the Pilgrims trailing 3-0 at the break as Lewis O’Brien, Harry Darling and Josh Key all netted for the Swans.

Adam Randell went close for Argyle with a free-kick that was palmed away by Lawrence Vigouroux in the home goal, but that was a rare highlight in an otherwise dismal showing from the Devonians.

After the break, Swansea squandered yet more chances to add to their tally, but it mattered not against an Argyle side, who must quickly regroup ahead of Saturday’s home clash with high-flying Sheffield United (12.30pm).

“It’s very tough because just 48 hours before we managed to have a very clean performance to reward ourselves with a strong victory, a strong three points, but that’s a pattern. Every time we have the opportunity to get closer, every time we have the opportunity to make a big, big step we can’t. We simply can’t.

“It was Cardiff at home, it was Derby, it was Sheffield Wednesday, Hull away. The same patterns. Every time we are closer, every time we prepare everything to make the next step after wins, after good performances, we simply disappear.

“We concede the first goal after four minutes. Forty-five seconds before that goal we have a free-kick on the mid line. We play the ball lateral back into the feet of the number nine of Swansea. Thirty seconds later you concede a goal. How are you going to prevent this?

“The second goal, I think it’s a free-kick (for Argyle). Out of this free-kick Swansea clears the ball. We have two players on the mid line. On the ball. We can’t clear this and then we make just an absolutely unnecessary foul on the edge of the box. Out of this you are two-zero down. How to prevent this?

“That’s why I’m very, very disappointed and that’s exactly why we are in the situation where we are. We simply can’t perform consistently like every other team.

“Derby can manage to win four games in a row, Hull City can win three in a row. Cardiff can win games. Every opponent is capable of realising the importance of the moment and go fully. Every time we have the chance to do this we simply give it away. That’s how it is.”

With relegation back to League One looking increasingly likely for Argyle, Muslic knows he has to keep believing in his team, even if the odds are stacked firmly against them.

“It’s getting even tougher now, but we had the same pressure last week against Norwich and we did well but, again, every time we can get really close, we can set a tone and put an example, we are failing and that’s a pattern of the last season, that’s a pattern of almost the last two years.

“I think our team is capable of delivering a top performance on Saturday, but it’s not enough from time to time to deliver. We are in a situation we have consistently to deliver and grab points and that’s the biggest step for us. It seems like we are just not capable of it.”