Joey Barton described it as "Groundhog Day" after Bristol Rovers suffered a nightmare first half at Exeter City for the second time this season.
The Gas were beaten 5-3 by the Grecians at St James Park on Wednesday, going in at half time 5-0 down, making it nine first-half goals conceded in Devon this season after a 4-1 thumping on the same turf in August.
Goals from Zain Westbrooke, Ryan Jones and Nick Anderton reduced the deficit, but it was a resounding defeat for a second-string Rovers as they were knocked out of the Papa John's Trophy in the group stages.
"We all know goals change games and it just reminded me of the league game down here," Barton said.
"Every attack in the first half just ended up in the back of the net. It was like Groundhog Day again from coming here in the league.
"But you’ve got to take your chances. We’ve had as good, if not better chances than them in the first period, four or five of them, and we haven’t taken them. We could have gone in at half time 5-4.
"Second half, I thought we were much improved but the damage was done.
"We just weren’t good enough in the first half, but credit to the lads. All we can do is make a fist of it and I think in the second half the younger players showed some character.
"Loads of young players in there and an opportunity to see what they’re about and how far away they are from our first team.
"Disappointed to lose the game, but loads of positives we can take out of it."
Though he could have done little to reduce the damage suffered, highly-rated 18-year-old keeper Jed Ward looked off-colour for the Gas having been so assured in previous appearances.
Barton revealed at full time the academy graduate chose to play despite being injured during set-piece practice on Wednesday morning.
"Connor Taylor’s crashed into Jed Ward, literally the last set piece of the morning," Barton said. "A wide free-kick, Jed comes out for it and Connor absolutely flattens him.
"We thought he was going to miss the game at that point with a dead leg and a little bit of a knock and a niggle, and because he hasn’t had a lot of football…
"I was watching him in the warm-up and he wasn’t moving too well. He had a padding there off the physio and we were saying to him ‘Are you sure you’re OK?’
"We didn’t want to play Belly (James Belshaw) because we’ve only got Jed and Belly as goalies at the minute. With Anssi (Jaakkola) out injured, we don’t have a third keeper.
"He decided he wanted to play and that he felt fine with a little bit of painkillers, and then four goals have gone in that side so I’m kind of kicking myself that I didn’t pull him out of the game, but obviously you can only ask the physio and the lad himself and he’s mega keen to play."
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