Dire defence was ‘embarrassment’
AFURIOUS Dave Challinor labelled his side’s performance ‘an embarrassment’ as league leaders Stockport County were thumped 4-0 at Tranmere Rovers on Saturday.
A brace from defender Jordan Turnbull came in between a Tom Davies opener and a late fourth from former Hatter Connor Jennings at Prenton Park, as Challinor’s side capitulated defensively to slip to a second successive defeat.
Three of the four goals came from set pieces, just as all three of promotion rivals’ Crewe Alexandra’s goals last Tuesday evening had come in a 1-3 win at Edgeley Park.
“Let’s be clear, our relative ‘success’ with where we sit in the table is based on doing the basics and stability,” said Challinor.
“Yet we’ve not had a clean sheet in seven, we’ve had one in nine, and we’ve conceded six consecutive goals from set pieces.
“Sometimes you have to protect the players with what you say, but that is an embarrassment defensively.
“It’s quite apt going back to Tranmere, as I reckon me and Clint (Hill, assistant manager) would have done a better job as centre-backs than what I saw out there.”
The Cheshire derby defeat at the hands of Crewe last midweek, followed by Challinor’s unsuccessful return to for- mer club Tranmere, saw The Hatters’ lead atop League Two cut to a solitary point.
That lead could have been wiped out com- pletely, only for Mansfield Town to fall to a surprising 2-1 defeat at Walsall on Saturday to keep County clinging onto top spot ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Gillingham as the Express went to print.
After long-term injuries for Kyle Knoyle and Macauley Southam-Hales, key man Fraser Horsfall was ruled out of the trip to Tranmere on the day of the fixture due to illness – but Challinor refused to give his players an excuse.
Manchester United loanee Rhys Bennett endured a miserable debut for the club, as the young- ster started alongside Neill Byrne at the back.
“I don’t see it (injuries and changes) as an excuse,” said Challinor.
“If I’m next to a different defensive partner as a player, the one thing for certain I’m doing is talking to them non-stop and communicating throughout. We didn’t have that.
“That’s a process. And if we don’t see significant improvement then I have to do something about it, that’s my job. I can tell the truth or I can paper over the cracks - if things don’t get better, Tuesday (Gillingham) is going to be a rough night for us, it’s simple.”
Challinor had challenged his players to respond after the Crewe defeat at Edgeley Park last week, but in truth, The Hatters were comprehen- sively beaten and, aside from a positive spell at the start of the second half with the score at 1-0, had nothing at all to show for their afternoon.
“On the back of what happens out there, the players can’t get sacked; I probably can,” said Challinor.
“I have to pick up the consequences of what we’ve seen on the pitch, and that hurts me. I’ve questioned how much it hurts them as I didn’t see enough out there when the chips were down.
“Fraser fell ill at 11am, we changed it, we went in at half-time a goal down.
Okay, as players, go and deal with that adversity.
“We start the second half well but then concede the most horrendous goal. From there, I don’t think we won an aerial duel. As a defence, that is embarrassing.
“We’re in League Two. Head the ball. Get up against your man. The goals we conceded are an absolute joke.”
Tuesday’s testing trip to play-off hopefuls Gillingham will be followed up by the visit of Swindon Town to Edgeley Park this coming Saturday – and a forthright Challinor is clear on what is needed from his side to return to winning ways.
“We were in on Sunday, and we’ll work hard to cut out the sort of thing we’ve seen over the last week,” he said.
“But we need to show some character, some desire and grit, and the players’ reaction going forwards will tell not just me, but the fans, a lot about this group.”