Kevin Wilkin concerned after AFC Telford United bullied in FA Cup defeat
An early Emirates FA Cup exit for AFC Telford United sat uncomfortably with manager Kevin Wilkin, who felt that several of his team were becoming ‘too easy to play against’.
While any defeat would have dismayed Wilkin, the nature of his side’s 2-1 loss at Gainsborough Trinity perturbed him most of all.
The Bucks trailed within 20 seconds of the start, and although they came through a nightmare start to equalise, they were defeated by Lewis Butroid’s 52nd-minute winner for their Lincolnshire hosts.
“The start overall was poor,” said Wilkin. “They were on the front foot, credit to them, but to fall behind within minutes of the start... how easily the cross ends up in the box and then we haven’t got the courage to go and deal with it and win that moment.
“We got a little bit bullied in there; that disappoints me, and we were bullied for the second goal as well.”
Wilkin didn’t go against his style and name individuals, but made it clear that some of his players were falling short.
He added: “They’re just two really poor moments that I expect players, if they’re going to play at this club, to be able to do better.
“I don’t think we were great, clearly. We’ve battled hard, but we’re reliant on too few players to drag us through. There were some strong individual performances, but that needs to be from one to 11, and it wasn’t again. We’ve got players there that are not affecting the play and just becoming a little bit too easy to play against.”
Delan Howe’s rapid-fire opener was followed by a frantic 10 minutes where the Bucks also conceded a penalty.
Captain Kyle Storer was harshly adjudged to have handled a goal-bound shot; however, Brandon Hall saved Howe’s penalty with his legs.
Ricardo Dinanga turned home a Remi Walker cross in the 35th minute to level as the Bucks began to settle, but more inattention brought Butroid’s winner, the wing-back able to ghost in at the back post to bury a header from former Buck Aaron Simpson’s cross.
Wilkin added: “We changed our shape and gave ourselves a bit of a platform on which to build and went on and created one or two moments, and we scored and got ourselves back in the game, but we could have recognised where, in certain situations, we quite simply could have done better. It’s not for anything weird and wonderful, you know? They are simple moments where you can affect the game a whole lot better. I just think that one or two players are letting me down.”
