
Frustrating is the word, no doubt (for today’s performance). We, by far and away, were the better side, especially in the first half. We've obviously cost ourselves by letting in a sloppy goal in the first five minutes.
After the goal went in, there's only one team in the game. We've scored a really good equaliser, a good ball from Rhodesy. A great bullet header at the back post from Fenners and planted it well.
So, it's a good goal and we just worked that right channel so well today. Gratz played really well, I thought Taguey played really well, Rhodesy played really well. It's just that finishing touch and obviously Liam's gone through, and he'll think he should score, he knows he should score. We missed that one.
We pull one back to Taguey, he's got to fire with his right foot, takes the touch and it gets snuffed out. We should score that one. We then do score a goal after half-time. I'd have to watch it back on the video.
Ref said there was something in it, didn't look like much to me, so that's been chalked off. And then they're time-wasting for the last fifteen minutes. I have got no problem with that because they've come to do a job and get a point.
Fair play to them, but we have to, in their moments, try and rise above all that. Again, keep getting our foot on the ball. I think the last fifteen minutes, we just didn't do enough.
Having said that, we've got a great chance there to sling the ball in the box. Last kick of the game, we've got six or seven in the box. Rhodesy's got a great angle to put it in, and the ref decides to blow up.
I don't think we've had the rub of the green on decisions either. I keep saying in these interviews, I try not to talk about referees, but in the last three games, we've not had the rub of the green. Go back to Warwick last Saturday, we scored a 96-minute goal that's two yards onside, gets given off.
At Corby, they put eight minutes up and I think they're scoring in hundred and one. And then today, I've not even mentioned the red card they should have where the ball's gone through. Centre-half thinks he's heard a whistle, catches it, we're clean through on goal.
And because it was a mistake, because there was a whistle from the crowd, but is that the letter of the law? I don't know. But for me, there's been a few today where I just feel like I've been outdone by. But it's another point in the right direction against a very good footballing team who move it well.
But yes, obviously, we rued missed chances and that should have been all three. From the starting lads (gave me a reaction), yes. Not from the lads who came on if I'm completely honest. There's a reason why people find themselves out of the team. You have to be at it week in, week out.
I think I said three or four weeks ago in this interview, that good sides are consistent sides. Every game, week in, week out. Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday, home and away.
And we've just had a couple maybe just not quite at it. And that happens when you're out of a run of form. But then don't expect to be in the team every week.
That's my job to make sure lads are getting minutes. Tague is a good example. He's waited for his chance.
He's come in and played really well the other night. How can I leave him out today? And he's justified his position in the team, played really well and Taguey will start next week. So, it's up to the lads that are out of the team today to get back in the team.
Did the lads that come on do enough to get back in the team? In my opinion, they didn't.
So, we'll see what happens next week.
But we're not going to win many games with just eleven players. We need everybody to buy in. The message at the end of the game there was I don't want to see your sulking faces because that won't last very long.
I promise you that. It's a team game. We've got a good squad in there.
We've had nineteen games in eleven weeks. We needed to freshen it up and I think I'm guilty sometimes of just going same eleven, same eleven. In my mind, that helps you get consistency but at the same time it does flog your players a little bit.
So, something I needed to look at, and I decided today to make a couple of changes. I thought Lewis justified his place, played really well, and helped us get a foot on the ball. And on another day, we win that game and we come in and we're not questioning anything that we've done.
So, it's just one of those. We scratch it now, we move on. It's a point in the right direction.
Important we didn't lose today after what happened at Corby. So well done to the boys for defending the box because I think set pieces was going to be their only way of scoring second half. And they chucked a fair few in there with those two big centre-halves and Tendai (Daire) up front.
So, I think they realised first half they couldn't get through us playing the way they wanted to play. So, they got a bit more direct and fair play to them for spotting that. But yes, I just think we get a bit more clinical in that first half, and we come in and it's probably a comfortable win.
Lee Attenborough was talking to Chris Nelson.