“Everyone involved with the club deserved better than that result” says Coyle following Swans heavy exit from Challenge Trophy
Slimbridge were dumped out of the GFA Challenge Trophy following their 7-1 thrashing by Mangotsfield United at Thornhill Park on Tuesday, writes Sam Yapp.
Joint-manager, Adam Coyle, felt the magnitude of the defeat realising what affects it could have around the entire club.
“My initial reaction is actually an apology to everyone involved with Slimbridge Football Club. It’s not acceptable for this club to lose seven-one and they deserve much better than that tonight.
“This was never going to be a throw away game as we wanted to go for this cup. There was no hiding the fact we wanted to win this game tonight,” Coyle said.
Mangotsfield wasted no time pursing a semi-final spot taking the lead within 40 seconds when Kyrese Morrison converted a low cross into the bottom corner from close range.
It was two inside three minutes when Morrison replicated his opener before Jack Nunn spectacularly beat Ellis Parker from 30 yards on 16 minutes, which Coyle felt was the hammer blow to his side.
“They were quicker than us, first to every ball and started really well scoring two quick goals which knocked the stuffing out of us, and we never recovered,” he said
Morrison completed an incredible first half hat-trick on 32 minutes when he pounced on a defensive error before rounding Parker to roll the ball into an empty net.
Six minutes later, Archie Morris added a fifth diverting a low Harley Purnell cross into the far corner following a routine right of the training ground.
Mangotsfield started the second period as quick as they did the first when Lewis Hutchinson’s first-time volleyed effort flew into the far corner on 48 minutes.
Coyle’s side did find a constellation goal thanks to help from Morrison who turned a Ben Hands’ corner into his own net for an unwanted fourth goal in the game on 69 minutes.
Jadyn Crosbie rounded off the scoring on 79 minutes dispatching straight down the middle from the penalty spot to send Mangotsfield into the semi-finals.
But despite suffering the Swan’s biggest defeat of the season, Coyle still managed to find some positives from the fact these two face off again in under a fortnight.
“The only positive is that we have them here again in ten days where we can put things right for all the wrongs we’ve done tonight,” he said.
And away from the disappointment of the cup exit, Coyle was quick to line out his sides plans for the remainder of the season.
As the tail end of the season rolls around, Coyle and his side sit level on points with the play-off positions in the Hellenic League Premier, which the club will want to hunt down.
“We can focus on the league now, it’s a horrible cliché, but we can focus on the league, and we’ve got nine cup finals to go,” he said.
Line-ups:
Slimbridge: Parker (GK), Turner ©, Prictor, Blackie, Dennis, Hitchings, McKinnon, Hands, Neill, Smith, Clayson
Sub: Mills, Thomas, Mbunga, Mara, Hawes
Mangotsfield United: Gargett (GK), Tovey, Morris, Purnell ©, Ilea, Bence, Morrison, Hutchinson, Crosbie, Nunn, Ikeije
Subs: Nelson, White, Barimah, Warren, Boyer
C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Ben Hands (Slimbridge)
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