Manager Neil Aspin said FC Halifax Town’s performance during the 3-0 defeat at Gainsborough Trinity was the worst he had ever seen his side produce.
Despite the hosts creating the better chances, Town matched Trinity during an end to end first half which ended with the lines level.
But a deflected goal for Gainsborough early in the second half sparked a 15 minute period which saw Town go 3-0 down - a score line from which they never looked like being able to recover.
Aspin said afterwards: “It was unacceptable today. We have to be better than that.
“The better team won and we were very poor - as bad as I’ve seen us, particularly in the 15 minute spell after the goal.
“Without a doubt the best side won. The first half was very scrappy and neither side was particularly impressive. But certainly in the second half we can have no complaints.”
Aspin changed system for the game, bringing in Phil Bolland in a back three to combat the height of former Shayman Darryn Stamp - but with combative trio Jon Worthington, Jason Jarrett and Liam Needham in front of the back line, Town were painfully short of creativity.
After Craig Nelthorpe’s effort deflected in off Liam Hogan, Aspin sent on Lee Gregory and Dan Gardner - but within five minutes of their introduction Town were 3-0 down.
“We didn’t test their keeper, we defended poorly and didn’t pass the ball well,” said Aspin in summary.
“From crossing areas we never got past the first man and we were poor throughout.
“You have to try and win games. You can say a draw is a good result occasionally but we have to try and win games.
“Even if we were 0-0 I would have still put a couple of subs on with half an hour to go to give them a chance and I felt we needed to get more impetus going forward.
“But once the second goal went it there was only going to be one team who were going to win it and it certainly wasn’t going to be us.”
“The balls up to the forwards were poor, everything was a fight and a scrap and they had very little to go at and it was very difficult,”
The game came just a week after Town beat Trinity 3-1 at the Shay.
“We played well on Boxing Day at times but we just didn’t today,” he added.
“I don’t think you can over analyse it because previously we’ve done alright and we’ve been on the back of a winning run and you can’t throw out all the good work because of one bad performance but I certainly don’t want to see it repeated.”
Comments