Manager Kevin Horlock reflects on Saturday's disappointing FA Trophy exit.
DK: Not the ideal way to go into next week's trip to York.
KH: No. Obviously we want to be winning games of football, and we have been. We have been really good, and today we were below par. We was a little bit lucklustre at times, we're making mistakes that we haven't done, and you've got to give them a little bit of credit. They come with a game plan, they obviously looked to hit us on the break, and camp in on the edge of their box, which obviously worked and albeit I'm not sure how we haven't scored today. We've had chances, and we've snatched at things, and missed the target - but fair play to them, they obviously progress and it's a massive disappointment because although we've started well in the league, and had a good FA Cup run, I want to do it on all fronts and I think it's the second time now that we've gone out at this stage of the Trophy with a whimper really in the end. We just didn't do enough, so as much as I'm disappointed - and the lads are as well - it's difficult for me to be too critical, because they are a good group, we've had a good start - but we need to obviously take it on the chin and suck it up, and realise how crap it can be to lose a game like that - in a game we should be winning and try not to let it happen again. So, yeah, it's a tough one to take.
DK: Do you think there was any signs of not wanting to get injured ahead of next week?
KH: No, no, I don't think so. I don't just think we really moved the ball quick, I think we kept the ball really well, obviously they let us have it a little bit, but we just didn't move it sharp enough. We didn't have any zip, we didn't have any sharp movements in the final third - or passes slid down the side of the two centre-halves, and they were fairly comfortable. I know they've cleared a last ditch couple off the line, but other than that they just headed and kicked everything, and we sort of looked a little bit short on ideas if I'm honest.
DK: Not clinical enough?
KH: No, definitely not, and it costs you in the end, I don't think either keeper's made that many saves - I can't really remember Marco making 1, and we had chances. We got in good areas today quite easily, we passed the ball around ok, up to the final third, we got there at will really at times, but then we just didn't have that cutting edge or that bit of ruthlessness to go and score a goal, and get back in the tie and go on and win it. So we more or less got what we deserved.
DK: Would you say we weren't quite as defensively sound as we have been recently?
KH: No, look they were a threat, and to be fair it sort of lended itself to type of game once they got the goal, which was a little bit poor from our point of view, they just then sat back even more - which meant we had to come out, we had to commit more bodies which at times left us a little bit short at the back, but we didn't really threaten after that, which is disappointing that we probably controlled the majority of the game and not really asked too many questions of their goalkeeper, so they'll obviously be delighted with that. They've obviously kept their shape, their defenders have headed and put their bodies on the line, but we need to do more.
DK: To perform like that at home is disappointing.
KH: Yeah, that will always be disappointing, whether we perform like that I think the bottom line is we're in an industry where we want to win games of football, and this competition - obviously we know the experience we had two years ago. It was a good one for everyone involved, especially the young lads as well, and we've missed an opportunity there to try and emulate that again by going out at this stage in a game, where if we'd have played anywhere near we could've we would've won fairly comfortably.
It's difficult to say (that the signs of lack quality in the right areas from last season showed) that, because the lads have been fantastic. I think we've lost in 15 games, I think we're a long way from where we were last year. You're not going to win every game, but it's just frustrating that we have created chances when we've not been at our best, but we've just not been ruthless enough to take them and we've ended up going out of the competition that I wanted to progress in. And I know people will say, 'oh you can't compete on all fronts,' but why can't you? Look, we haven't got a big squad by any means, but we've got an Academy with young players that can backfill squads when they're needed so I wanted to win today. I'm massively disappointed, and the lads are too that we haven't.
DK: On the flip side on the unbeaten run we were on, and how good we have been, this defeat was pending, so would you kind of prefer it, with no disrespect to the Trophy, be today rather than interupt our league rhythm or our FA Cup run?
KH: Yeah, potentially, but I just think as a manager, as a player, whoever, you just want to win every game - and today was one that was massively winnable. Respect to them, they come up here, they've travelled here and put a hell of a shift in, they Cray players worked ever so hard. But it is just so disappointing. Look, if you lose in the FA Trophy, FA Cup, league, they all hurt. So they're all the same to me.
DK: Nice to have Jamie back on the bench!
KH: Yeah, obviously he's not really fit to start, or play, obviously he's put in the squad today just to bolster the bench up. He's trained on Thursday, done the warm up today, so yeah he's not a million miles away, and we've got two training sessions this week, so he could be on the bench again for York, and potentially get minutes.
DK: Any update on Reece?
KH: Reece is not a million miles away, he's probably going to be another week maybe hopefully, it's not as bad as first thought, so I'm hoping he'll be back a week/10 days touch wood.
DK: Too early for York?
KH: Maybe a bit soon, obviously not trained, so we'll see. We'll give him as long as he can, and if he can do anything Thursday, then great - if he can't then it'll probably be a bit longer.
Byron's obviously played a couple of games, and he's not played today in the 23s, but we'll just keep an eye on it. Obviously we don't want to throw Byron straight in, and rush him as he's been out a long time, nearly two years. So we'll just sort of take it game by game, and see how he goes really. We'll do it at Byron's pace and take it slow, there's no point rushing him back now, after so long being out - so we'll make sure he's right, rather than throwing him game after game.
I think looking at how disappointed the lads are pleases me, because I want to feel that. I want them to be disappointed when we don't win games of football, other than that in the game we just weren't good enough, and that's the biggest disappointment, I can't really take any pleasure out of that unfortunately.
DK:
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