“The pitch conditions weren’t brilliant but we can’t make excuses because our quality let us down at times. There was plenty of huff and puff and it happens from time to time. But if you are not good on the ball you have got to be good off it by winning tackles, picking up second balls and getting close to your man to try to stop the opposition from playing.
“We did that OK but when we got the ball I thought we were untidy in possession and probably had too many touches, and the longer the game went on the more frustrated we got.
“There are always positives, and it was a nice night and it is nearly Christmas! When I sit on the bench I like to enjoy a good game of football but I didn’t enjoy that and probably the boys who played in it didn’t because the ball never seemed to be on the ground.”
Meanwhile defender Dean Leacock has been given a couple of weeks compassionate leave to help out with a family illness.