Sickness bug has gone through squad – Cowley
DANNY COWLEY rued the sickness bug which has swept through Pompey’s camp as Harrogate Town grabbed a ‘deserved’ FA Cup upset.
Jack Diamond’s 95th-minute winner earned a 2-1 triumph for the League Two side and their 121 away followers.
And afterwards Cowley revealed the full extent of the non-Covid bug which impacted his squad selection ahead of the second-round encounter.
The Blues’ head coach told The News: ‘I’m bitterly disappointed, I thought we got what we deserved.
‘Credit to Harrogate, they were humble, really hardworking, played with an energy and intensity.
‘We had a lot of good chances in the first half and didn’t take them. They scored and we did well to respond, but we were short.
‘We’ve had a difficult week, with a lot of illness among the group.
‘Joe Morrell didn’t make it, George Hirst pulled out Saturday morning, we’ve had seven or eight others who have been affected by it and it has disrupted training. ‘I don’t like to give excuses to players after poor performances, but maybe that affected us.
‘It’s a sickness bug, non-Covid related, which has gone through the group.
‘A lot were suffering temperatures, sickness, headaches, a lack of energy – that has been the issue all week.’ Miguel Azeez was handed a rare start alongside Shaun Williams in central midfield, while Ellis Harrison featured up front as Cowley plugged the gaps created by the absence of in-form duo Hirst and Morrell.
Yet the team performance was nowhere near good enough against a side positioned seventh in League Two.
Cowley added: ‘We had only two senior midfielders available in the squad.
‘It has been one thing after another this season, it has been really tough.
‘We have lots of forwards available, but were really lacking in the midfield area, as it showed.
‘I’m just telling you the reasons, Harrogate deserved to win – and we have to accept that.’