Shropshire Star

Gavin Cowan: Telford defeat was undeserved

AFC Telford United boss Gavin Cowan felt his side didn’t get what their performance deserved in a 2-1 defeat at Curzon Ashton on Saturday, but acknowledged that his side ‘weren’t good enough’ in crucial aspects.

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The hosts hadn’t won a league game since August, but an injury-time goal after some poor handling by goalkeeper Matt Yates literally handed them the victory.

The Bucks had taken the lead but the National North strugglers levelled before the late sting in the tail.

“Credit to Curzon,” said Cowan. “They’ve been having a tough time and have been searching for that for a while, but I think they’d agree that it’s not a result they deserved.

“We were completely dominant in our performance but punished for not taking our chances.”

The Bucks led in a scrappy encounter, through an own goal, but were pegged back by a penalty and then, despite having the lion’s share of the second half, couldn’t put the game to bed, something the manager was left to lament.

“I knew that we’d wear Curzon down,” added Cowan. “We got ahead and should have put our foot on the gas.

“I’m not sure Curzon got out of their own half too often (in the second half), but then obviously Yatesy’s dropped the ball and their lad has passed it into an empty net.”

“It’s game management, but the performance was in general, ironically, a good one.

“You have to come to places like this and earn the right to play, and I felt we did that

“But in both penalty boxes we’ve not been good enough and we have to take responsibility for that.”