Hastings defender Stuart Playford thinks lack of team spirit is to blame for his side's poor run of form.

United had to settle for a point following a disappointing deadlock at the Pilot Field which leaves them one place above the Premier Division relegation zone with only one win from their last 13 league games.

Playford said: "The players have been getting at each other in recent weeks. In training we have been at each other's throats a bit because we are down at the bottom of the league and things have not been going well.

"Our team spirit has suffered because we are absolutely desperate for a win and to get three points."

Playford thought he saw enough from the draw to indicate things are changing.

He said: "There was definitely a bit more togetherness and I think people enjoyed it more. We were not arguing with each other or anything like that, there was a bit of spirit there.

"We had a good training session in the week and a bit of a laugh and I think that helped. Hopefully the point will give us something positive to look at and we can push on from here."

The Hastings stalwart showed commitment with a superb performance in United's back three alongside Adam Flanagan and captain Tony Burt.

He dished out crunching tackles and set up a glorious chance for striker Joel Bevis to open the scoring on 19 minutes but the Frenchman fired over from three yards.

United dominated for large periods and, unlike recent matches, created enough opportunties to secure three points.

Danny Simmonds gave Hastings the lead six minutes after half-time and it looked good enough to secure a precious win until Mike Trought hit the equaliser for the visitors seven minutes from time.

Simmonds netted after Bath failed to clear a free-kick by Nick Hegley. The former Albion midfielder dribbled across the edge of the box before firing a low-angled shot into the corner of the net.

He feels the performance proved United are good enough to get out of trouble.

Simmonds said: "I thought we were going to hold on because once we went into the lead we looked solid and strong.

"There has been a bit of a problem with confidence within the team in the last few weeks but I think that wasn't a problem against Bath and overall it was a good performance.

"There was a lot of effort, some good football and just a sucker punch at the end.

"We are not panicking and know it's not over for a long way yet. We just have to stick together, keep working hard and put in performances like this and things will go right. You can't be unlucky every game."

The visitors failed to create any clearcut chances until Trought was left unmarked in the area to head home the late equaliser from a free-kick by Andy Williams.

Hastings manager George Wakeling thought home goalkeeper Dave King was to blame for the goal. King got a hand on the visiting defender's powerful header.

Wakeling said: "I thought King could have done better. He should have kept it out and I think earlier in the season he would have saved it."

He believes his side must stop conceding soft goals if they are to stay up.

Wakeling said: "We didn't deal properly with their only chance and got punished. That's what's happening to us too many times at the moment. We were getting away with it early doors but not now.

"I felt we were the better side over the 90 minutes but let ourselves down."

Meanwhile, Cambridge City, Hinckley and Grantham, the teams directly above Hastings, lost.

Wakeling said: "A point is progress but we can't afford to let other teams get away from us because this is a very tight league."