So, we’re out of the FA Cup at the first-round stage for the first time since 1923-24. Jesus, we need to turn up against Coventry City and Burton Albion. Parkinson: “It’s up to me to pick the lads up now and make sure I can get the right performance out of us at the weekend. Obviously, the lads are disappointed because we put a lot of effort in tonight and we’ve got nothing for those efforts. We’ve got to look at why, but we’ve also got to take the positives of the good things that we did do, and the performances of the youngsters, particularly Brandon (Taylor), who performed so well. Taylor played in the game against Grimsby before I came in, which obviously I watched, but I thought he was excellent tonight. That was a tough game, a completely different game to what he’s played in the Under-23s, with the ball flying in the box and coming forward quickly. I thought he showed good calmness and did really well, and I’m pleased for him. I’m pleased for the academy as well that a young player has come in and stepped up to the plate. It’s a good sign for us.”
Parkinson spoke about the game, which was dire and generally uneventful: “In the first half in particular, we got in some great positions to produce a cross to enable us to get a chance. But one went in the keeper’s arms and another, we just delayed it for a second and it ended up going out for a corner. Ultimately, those moments decide football games. They’re the key players in the final third that, in a 100 miles an hour type of game, have to show that moment of calmness to produce something. But it didn’t come from us tonight.”
Finally, an ‘injury’ update: “We were severely depleted tonight, we were missing ten players, that’s the facts. But when we get back to the training ground on Thursday morning, the international players will be back, (Joel) Lynch, (Jordan) Willis and (George) Dobson will be back training, and Marc McNulty has a chance for the weekend too. All of a sudden, the squad looks better as we head into what is undoubtedly going to be an important period for us.”
