Lapses costing County so dear
COUNTY boss Jim Gannon sympathised with his players after a second successive home defeat on Saturday, claiming that his side “deserved a lot more” following the 2-1 loss to Kidderminster.
Matty Warburton’s eighth goal of the season gave County the lead on the stroke of halftime, before two second-half strikes by Joe Ironside continued The Hatters’ recent miserable run of just one win in six games.
However, Gannon praised the effort of his side after the loss, admitting that “lapses in concentration” had cost his players a point. He added that “the effort the players gave for the shirt” warranted a more positive result.
“I’m really disappointed,” he said. “People will obviously be looking at the defeat and making their judgement from that, but I thought we deserved to be in the lead at halftime, and the way we played in the second half we deserved to be the side that went back in front.
“But, whether it’s down to the mental and physical fitness of the players, there were a few lapses of concentration there.
“We need to be careful with the players, because people may be going away and making a snap judgement that we were poor because of the result.
“I think when you reflect on the whole second half performance, the chances that we had, we deserved something. But there are a few lapses in concentration and a few instances of chances not being taken, and it’s cost us.
“But overall, my overriding feeling from Saturday is one of disappointment for the players. What they did for me in the game and what they did for the shirt was worthy of a lot more,” Gannon explained.
The late defeat to fulltime Kidderminster saw the debate which has been swirling around Edgeley Park since County’s drop into the sixth tier, of whether the club need to return to their previous full-time status to make inroads in The Hatters’ quest to return to league football.
Gannon has been vocal in his desire for the club to return to full-time status since his latest return to the club, with The Hatters’ record of just one win against full-time sides since their relegation into the National League North four years ago emphasising the Irishman’s point.
But following Saturday’s home reverse, the former Port Vale chief chose to play down the debate, despite admitting that there were elements of the defeat which were attributable to the differing status of each side.
“I’m wary of not reopening the part time or full time debate, or saying anything which may be seen as an excuse, but something has always stuck with me as a manager is that the biggest difference between the two statuses is fitness and finishing. They’re the things which have cost us on Saturday,” Gannon said.
“But we have to look at the positives, like the fact that the man of the match for us was our fittest player, Gary Stopforth. It does show that there’s something in that point and that we do have players with the fitness and the capability in this squad.
“The first person I look at afterwards is me and whether I’ve picked the right team and the right formation. I think it was right to go with a shape where we pressed high up and didn’t allow Kidderminster to play out from the back.”
“There were a lot of positives, but Kidderminster do have that ability to revert to plan B.
‘Whether it’s down to mental or physical fitness, there were lapses’
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Continued from back “A full-time side being able to bring on quality players on big money from the bench does show the nature of the league and of where we’re at.”
The Hatters are due to face neighbours Cheadle Town this evening in Cheshire Senior Cup action, but a frustrated Gannon turned his ire towards the Cheshire FA – claiming County have been “forced” into fielding a first team line-up just days before Saturday’s crucial league tie against struggling FC United of Manchester.
County were dumped out of the FA Cup last month by the nine-man Red Rebels in a fiery affair, and despite manager Karl Marginson’s departure from Broadhurst Park since then, bad blood remains between the two sides, with Gannon later remarking that FC’s FA Cup triumph “would count for little when they get relegated this season.”
However, the Hatters chief did fire a warning shot to the fringe players in his squad before Wednesday’s Senior Cup tie.
“I’m not too bothered right now about the line-up for the Cheshire Cup game – it’s ridiculous that we are forced into a first team game on a Wednesday night.
“But there are players currently on the bench and out of the squad who will be involved, and to be honest we’ll be looking at them, because if they don’t perform then we have to look at what their value to the club is.
“These players currently aren’t doing enough to be in the side ahead of the likes of Jason Oswell, Gary Stopforth and Ben McKenna, so the pressure is on them to perform. If they don’t, there will be decisions to be made on certain players’ future, and we’ll have to look at bringing players in with the right mentality to succeed for us. But if players can show up and really perform, then there’s scope to force their way into the team.”