Attitude and application missing, says angry Clough
A “BITTERLY disappointed” Nigel Clough blasted Burton Albion’s firsthalf display in the FA Cup first-round defeat to Scunthorpe United.
The defeat was made worse by the fact that it came hot on the heels of Burton’s Carabao Cup last-16 win over Nottingham Forest and a League triumph at Walsall, two of their best displays of the season.
“It’s not frustrating at all, I’m just absolutely, bitterly disappointed to go out after that first-half performance,” said Clough.
“As well as we’ve played in the last two games, the tempo that we created and the chances and everything, the first half was nowhere near the level that we set at Walsall last week.
“The attitude and the application were the main two reasons.
“We’ve been on about it all week to them, stressed to them that Scunthorpe will scrap and fight for everything, having come back from 3-0 down (to draw 3-3 with Oxford) last week.
“You only get one chance in the FA Cup and you can’t waste 45 minutes of that time.
“That’s the reason we’re out and also the pathetic goals we gave away, for experienced players.
“Kyle McFadzean again gave a free kick away, then McCrory, the club’s longest-serving player, gave the second goal away.
“I thought it was an under-12s game for a minute when I saw him head that ball back.”
Burton registered 17 shots at Glanford Park, including eight on target, with Iron goalkeeper Jak Alnwick in impressive form again, as he was for the goalless draw in Burton in September.
But Boyce’s 79th-minute effort, his first goal in eight games, was the only time they made that pressure count, with chances missed and openings in the final third too often wasted with sloppy passing and poor final crosses.
“They had a few situations, not many,” added Clough.
“We had balls going across the face of goal in the first half, nobody with that desire to get in there.
“And we only got a goal because Liam Boyce hit a bottom corner, which is the first time he’s done that for several weeks.
“There were missed chances again, which we did as a team, and wasted situations and opportunities all throughout the second half and the game.”