‘Missed chances cost us the win’
SHOTS BOSS SAYS STRIKERS SHOULD HAVE WRAPPED IT UP
BOSS Tommy Widdrington insisted Aldershot Town did not get “walloped” as the scoreline might suggest at Southend United on Saturday – adding that two decisions from the officials early in the second half created a “quantum shift” in the National League game.
The Shots were leading 1-0 through a Josh Stokes goal when first the visitors were denied a penalty for an alleged handball in the area and then, minutes later, Rollin Menayese was shown a straight red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity in the 49th minute.
The two crunch points proved pivotal as the Shrimpers went on to score four goals past the ten-men of Aldershot.
And while it might be easy to blame Menayese for the clumsy challenge or Jordi van Stappershoef for what Widdrington admitted was a “clanger”, the Shots boss insisted he equally blames his attacking players for not ensuring the visitors were more than a goal up after a plethora of first-half chances.
“It’s a disappointing result,” Widdrington told the Shots website. “People who weren’t here will look at that and think we got walloped.
“That was very much not the case. But you have to give credit to Southend for taking advantage of the decisions that they gained. We felt harshly treated.
“The game changed in a two minute period with a decision going against us at one end of the pitch and then another decision going against us at the other end of the pitch. That made a quantum shift in terms of how the game went.
“We were comfortable at 1-0 I felt. Once they had possession in the first half we controlled it and looked to counter. We looked really, really cutting on the counter. And if anything, you have to have a go at the lads at the front end of the pitch who didn’t put the game to bed by half-time.
“That’s my only disappointment really. I can’t be harsh on Rollin and Jordi has made a clanger but, like I said, we missed chances galore in the first half.”
And after not conceding against Barnet or Altrincham last week, Widdrington believes it took being reduced to ten-men for his side to let a third consecutive clean-sheet slip on Saturday.
“I have total faith in the group,” he said. “It was two and a half games we went without conceding a goal and it was something I could tell they were keen to keep going.
“But that was taken away from us when we went down to ten men so early in the second half.
“Because of how Southend play and they overload you in a wide area, we were snookered really. It was always going to be dig in, sit in and look for some scraps.”
He added: “I’ve got to give the lads credit, and the lads that went on, because it is a difficult situation, 40 minutes with ten men.
“The game got away from us at the end. Our lads were out on their feet and they’ve scored two late goals. I’m not going to be too harsh on the lads.”
Aldershot are away to Oxford City on Saturday.