Peterborough Sports boss reacts angrily to chastening defeat in Darlington
Peterborough Sports boss Phil Brown wants his players to prove they want the responsbility of playing for the club after a chastening night in Darlington.
Sports shipped four goals in the first 35 minutes of a National League North game they went on to lose 5-2 on Tuesday evening. Brown described the performance as ‘unacceptable’, took some of the blame himself, but also questioned the attitude of some of his players.
Brown was so disturbed by the start he made a 30th minute defensive substitution.
A third defeat in a row left Sports 23rd in the table, but within touching distance of a place outside the relegation zone ahead of two home games against fourth-placed Radcllffe on Saturday (3pm) and Bedford Town, who are 14th, next Tuesday (November 25, 7.45pm).
"We didn’t look like we were up for the fight,” Brown told Peterborough Community Radio after last night’s game. “And that includes me and my staff. We started the game like a team who had cracked it because we had won an FA Trophy match on Saturday. I made a few changes so did I get my selection wrong? And did I get the system wrong? It looks like I did.
“I can’t keep holding my hands up for my mistakes though as I can’t believe some of the conversations I’m having with individual players. They don’t appear to want the responsibility of playing for the club and if that’s the case we are in for a very long season.
"It was unacceptable to concede four goals in the first half. The protection of a young goalkeeper was non-existent. Three centre-backs didn’t out their bodies on the line and we had wing-backs who did not stop crosses which is why I made a change so early.
"We did get a bit of pride back in the second-half. I just asked the players to win the second-half for that reason, but we didn’t quite manage that. We had a couple of chances at 4-2, but the basketball match nature of the second-half is not for me. I want my teams to be organised enough to stop the opposition playing and we didn’t do it.
"To be fair Darlington were very good in moments. They had a knockback at the weekend and they responded to that in the right way which is what we must do now.
"We need our A game every time we play, but we didn’t even have our X game in this one. I praised too many players before the game because we had won a game in a glamourpuss competition, but I won’t be doing that again. The damage was too early.
"We need heart to survive what has become a tempestuous campaign. We need players who will step up to the plate and not enough did in this game.
"There was plenty to take from the match, but it was all negative. We will dust ourselves down though.”