Energy levels nowhere near where they needed to be
Maidenhead United’s assistant boss Ryan Peters admitted the Magpies energy levels were nowhere near where they needed to be in Saturday’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to Altrincham.
Peters had hoped the Magpies would put on a performance for the BT Sport cameras, despite the absence of James Comley and Rohan Ince to international duty and the loss of Dan Sparkes and others to injury.
They were able to get Sammy Barratt back on the pitch during the second half but the man who was Maidenhead’s talisman earlier in the campaign looked short of fitness as the hosts desperately chased an equaliser to Ryan Colclough’s goal in the closing stages.
Peters accepted the side had missed their Caribbean internationals, adding that the dimension of the side had been changed by their absence.
“Not great, our energy levels were nowhere near where they needed to be,” he said in a postmatch interview with Maidenhead’s media officer Grace Scott.
“The last two games have been brilliant, but unfortunately today – after a 10-day rest we were able to get the same energy levels. These are a good side; they’ve taken six points off us this season, but we weren’t good enough today unfortunately.
“Possibly we didn’t deserve an equaliser. But you always know with our team we’re going to create chances and you expect us to grab one. It was a poor goal to give away today.”
Alfie Egan made his debut for the Magpies after joining on loan from Ebbsfleet United for the rest of the season. Egan was thrown into the deep end somewhat by the international and injury absences, but Peters felt he played well on a difficult evening for everyone in black and white.
“He did well, it was a tough game, and we didn’t help him with our level of performance,” he said. “Nothing against the boys that have played but when you lose two key individuals from any side, you’re going to change the dimension of the team and unfortunately we weren’t able to get anything out of the game.
“But those boys will be back soon and until they are, we’ve just got to push on. We were able to get Sammy back on the pitch today, he’s almost there, but in terms of some of the other boys it’s going to be a few weeks unfortunately.”