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Manager's Assessment - Dunston

Manager's Assessment - Dunston

Nigel Oldrini26 Jan - 11:15

'we've had ten chances that first half and scored one, they've had three and scored three'

For the first half an hour we looked electric. You'd have to have been here to understand, you know, to lose a game like that, 5-2, people will assume that you've been ripped apart.

We've absolutely battered them for half an hour. We've had chance after chance, not talking half chances, we're talking full-blown chances, 6, 7, 8 yards out, working good areas. Shot after shot, we've had one off the line, we've obviously scored.

Watson’s had two or three where, if he hits it a bit earlier, he'll get a bit more of a better connection on his shots. Kelan's had one that he's lofted when he should have maybe passed it or drilled it, and there was literally only one side in it.

I don't think they had an attack for the first half an hour, and I thought it was almost scarily comfortable, but then we've let one goal change the game, and I'll be honest, I'm disgusted with the goals we let in today. That first goal, they've not even had to work the ball, they've just dollied one in the middle of the box, and somehow the striker’s got seven or eight yards of space, our centre-halves have to do better.

He's obviously stuck that in, and then they've shell-shocked us before half-time with the smallest lad on their team scoring a header from a corner. So, from being unbelievably good, you come in, we end up being 3-1 down, because again, we don't get tight to the lad up front. He squares it in behind Rhodes, and they fire it back across the box.

We've had ten chances that first half and scored one, they've had three and scored three, so you find yourself 3-1 down, and that's what happens, good teams do that. Maybe that's the difference in level between the teams that are going to win the league.

Maybe Dunston will be that side, and teams like us who are going to be fighting for the top five spaces. I said that all along, if we finish fifth, we'll take it and today was another example of the difference between that real top, top quality, because there was no end of endeavour from us that first half.

The first half now, I thought we had too much for them. We were all over them, they couldn't get out. We were winning every second ball, especially down our left-hand side, we just looked a real threat, and yes, the goal swung it.

We've come in at half-time, we've obviously said what we've said, and then we go and concede another set-piece. So, you know, that kills the game at 4-1, and then funnily enough, I say it kills the game, you score for 4-2. We have a go for 15-20 minutes.

Rawson has that chance that, to be fair, it's a great finish, but an unbelievable save from their keeper. I was right behind it, and I was waiting for the net to go, and he's flicked it wide, and it goes from what could be 4-3, the break away, and the score for 5-2, and the game's dead again. So, yes, it's disappointing.

Look, it's probably our first sticky patch of the season, being honest. It's the first time we've gone more than two games without a win, and what we don't want to do is let it sort of fizzle out this next few weeks, so we really need to get back on the horse, and we need to get this win as soon as we can. There's no panic stations.

We've got a good set of lads in there. You can see they're giving it everything. Today, it was just a lack of quality in both boxes, and that's always the difference at this level. I just said to the players there, we might need to help the group a little bit if we can bring a body or two in, maybe, or it depends who's available, but I think that's the first time I've stood there thinking we probably need a bit of help because, as I felt, the confidence was drained at 1-1, and it shouldn't have been.

I think we've missed so many chances that you could feel the lads thought the game should be won already, and, of course, at 1-0, its certainly never won, and as soon as they got the goal for 1-1, I just felt that we lacked that little bit of belief, which probably comes from our last two or three results, but we need to stand up, and be better than that.

Lee Attenborough was talking to Chris Nelson

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