AFC Telford defeat hard to take says Bucks boss Cowan

A visibly frustrated Cowan remained tight-lipped as he sought to work out what had gone wrong, although was candid about his own part in the loss.

“It’s pretty difficult to put into words and to try to understand, if I’m honest.

“With the performance last week, how we’ve trained and the detail we’ve gone into. I felt like today was set up for us; the pitch, the way we play, the formation. On tactics I have to hold my hands up a little bit; I anticipated that they’d go slightly differently.”

“Over the last two games they’ve played three different formations and I imagined they’d try and match us up, but they didn’t.”

Curzon were set on their way to a first home win of the season by a fourth-minute goal from ex-Bucks player Ryan Brooke. They were aided by theBucks were reduced to ten men after just over half an hour, with Shrewsbury Town loan player John McAtee dismissed for an alleged elbow on goalkeeper Cameron Mason.

Cowan offered no direct comment on McAtee’s transgression, withA likely three match ban now should signal the end his loan spell. “I thought John started poorly anyway; he was on the back foot, he was nowhere near it, like a few of them, really; he wasn’t the only one.Maybe it was a bit of frustration that spilled over and he’s got himself sent off. That’ll probably be the end of his loan period now, so we won’t see him again.”

A man short, Cowan changed things at thehalf-time break,and his side hauled their way back into the game after an hour, through Andre Brown. However, a Max Bramley handling error handed Curzon their lead back within five minutes.

Cowan said: “Credit to the lads who came out in the second half, I think if anything we were the better team, but you’re forced to, aren’t you? I’ve been there as a player, you don’t have any option, so I’m loathe to give too much credit because we got ourselves into that position in the first place.”With two home games on the horizon, against York City and Hereford,Cowan was unwilling to make excuses, adding: “I have to take responsibility;there’s obviously something not right or something missing that I have to put right or change, but as far as this group goes that was unacceptable.”