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Created on Monday, 14 February 2022 11:51
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Last Updated on Monday, 14 February 2022 13:04
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Published on Monday, 14 February 2022 11:51
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Written by KEVIN MARRIOTT with Millbrook boss Macca Brown
Thirteen proved to be unlucky for Millbrook on Saturday as their 12-match unbeaten league run ended in spectacular fashion at the AJN Stadium.
By the law of averages the Brook were due a Western Premier defeat but the scale of it - 6-0 at Keynsham - came as a shock to anyone who has had the pleasure of watching them on a regular basis this season.
Behind the result – and nobody should take anything away from an excellent Keynsham performance – there were factors which helped to make more sense of it.
Best to let manager Macca Brown explain . . .
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It’s been a difficult week. I wasn’t there after testing positive for covid this week so can’t comment too much on the game itself but I can’t be critical of the lads who played whatever the result; the circumstances were far from ideal for us so full credit to them all. “I said last week after our brilliant win over Ashton and Blackwell that away games in this league are really tough for a number of reasons, availability being one of them. “This was the case on Saturday but again, it’s not one of those games where as manager I can point the finger at those unavailable as easy as that might be for me to do. “You get frustrated as manager when players are unavailable because they ‘choose’ to do something else on a Saturday, and don’t get me wrong we do get those, but Saturday was different. “We had Dave Youldon and Sean Thomson on holiday; Dan Chapman working; Jason Richards, Jake Foster, Rikki Shepherd, Ross Hamilton and Ben Applegate all injured; and Ryan Tetley with covid. “So out of a squad of 20 that we’ve assembled for this season, nine players were unavailable for reasons I can’t really argue with because injuries, work, covid and holidays are all plausible reasons as frustrating as it is. “This left us with 11 players and you add to that goalkeeper Chris Wearing has been laid up in bed half the week very ill, and really shouldn’t have been involved but we just couldn’t get cover in, then you just have to accept it’s one of those nightmare weekends, especially with myself not there as well. “I always say in these situations that it’s never about those who aren’t there because they aren’t going to affect the game and it’s true. “We had an 11 capable of a result but as a player a situation like yesterday is obviously deflating when you’re traveling two-plus hours to play with the bare 11, I get that.“We had a similar situation at Mousehole at the start of the season with a similar result, and at Bitton before Christmas, but we went 1-0 up in that one and then that gives you a lift, but on Saturday the opposite happened and they then scored at good times for them.“While the scoreline wasn’t pretty in the end and our pride is hurting because these lads are winners, they know they have been unbelievable this season, win, lose or draw. “That was our first league defeat since October and one bad result like that won’t define our season, but it does tell you how important it is to have a good squad every week in this league. “Hopefully we can get one or two back for Saturday’s home game against Brislington but regardless of that we will put it right.” Millbrook: C Wearing,C Knight, J Styring, J Wood, T Payne (R James 76), L Murray, C Mahoney, J Toulson, R Knight, O Small, S Morcom.
