Boxing fan Graham Coughlan said he felt sickened after his side took a knock-out body blow in the final round away at Burton Albion.
After dominating proceedings at the Pirelli Stadium the Gas were blindsided by two late goals from the hosts who couldn’t believe their luck, scoring in the 87th minute through Lucas Akins and Ryan Edwards in the fifth minute of injury time.
Speaking after the final whistle, Coughlan said: “It is a sickener. We didn’t deserve to lose that game. We should have won. They took the two chances they created, we didn’t take ours.
“It is a sickener to be honest.”
Coughlan said that not for the first time this season his side were too slow to get going after only really threatening after the break.
He said: “I thought we were sauntering along with Burton in the first half, we had gears to go through and we didn’t go through them. I have seen this many a time in football, you just run a long with a team and you wait for them to land the first punch.
“I never thought Burton were going to trouble us and turn us over 2-0. It is a hard one to take. For the second game in a row we have acquitted ourselves really well, we have applied ourselves really well, we have created opportunities but we have come away with defeat against Brighton [2-1, losing to an injury time goal] and Burton.”
But while Coughlan was disappointed with the application of his side he praised their effort and said they will have to get up off the canvas quickly with games coming thick and fast in the coming weeks
He said: “It is no time for anyone getting their head down. I have got a good group of lads who are tired. They have played so many games in such a short period. I have got a small squad. They will just have to pick themselves up and go again.
“They did look out on their feet in periods today but they are giving their all and I can’t argue with them when they are giving their all.”
