Sturrock On Newport & Wycombe

Manager Paul Sturrock was happy with the defensive showing in our point against Newport at the weekend but he held his hands up for selection errors in the one nil defeat to Wycombe last night.

Newport Highlights

Speaking to the Western Morning Press in his post Newport press conference, Sturrock had praise for the defensive resilience of the side as we picked up a point on Saturday.

‘Chris Weale made a good save down to his left and he has been very consistent since he came into the team, and he`s got the jersey because of that. I was very pleased with the back four as well to secure a clean-sheet, and as far as I`m concerned that`s four games without losing. We`re getting the draws away from home, we just need to sort out our home form and start getting the wins.’

There was concern for Sturrock in the way he felt we had gifted the opposition multiple chances on the day though and how we were sloppy in possession.

‘We set the tone in the second half when our experienced players moved the ball back and square too many times, and we finished up having to defend the box. After half-time the players didn`t follow the criteria and we got ourselves on the back foot, but we defended very well and I was very pleased as far as the unit was concerned.’

League Two – Yeovil 0-1 Wycombe

Speaking to the Western Gazette in his post Wycombe conference, the gaffer was quick to hold his hands up for his errors in the game.

‘I’ve stuck with that team and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t make changes. I gave the players who have done so well in the last two or three games the chance to solidify their position, but when there’s an improvement, and there invariably has been an improvement, do you all of a sudden change personnel? It’s a difficult one. People are responsive to fighting for their jersey, and when they get results they expect to be playing the following Saturday, but hindsight is a fantastic thing and at the end of the day freshening it up might have been the better idea. I had a few sleepless nights thinking about what I should have done, but looking at it now, freshness would have been a benefit. There were a couple of players who looked weary throughout the game, so as far as that’s concerned, I definitely think I should have made changes.’

With Ben Tozer, and Darren Ward being picked out in the game, Sturrock went on to add.

‘Ben’s come in and done an unbelievable job for the time he’s been out injured, and then all of a sudden he’s been asked to play five games in quick succession. I think he showed that he’s not capable of doing that. I don’t think anyone’s capable of doing that. Darren Ward looked a tired man as well. The pitch on Saturday and the pitch on Tuesday didn’t help us, but we’re absolutely gutted that we didn’t perform to the standards that we’ve been achieving.’

As for the overall performance though, the gaffer knows we have to lose the fear factor that’s come in following the difficult start to the year, and the only way of doing that is by being more clinical in the final third and giving ourselves confidence in matches.

‘We have to be ruthless in our approach to these games and on Tuesday I don’t feel that we showed that. Wycombe bullied us and that’s the disappointing thing for me. We played Coventry and Gillingham, who are the top two teams in the first division, and never looked out of sorts, but on Tuesday there were too many of the players who didn’t respond to the performance that we needed. When I called upon the players to get the three points, we didn’t show that ruthlessness. We had it at Maidstone. We had it against Gillingham, and we had it on Saturday. We rolled our sleeves up and battled when we had it, I just think that one or two haven’t had solid seasons and showed their condition today and I did feel that was a factor.’