Trophy defeat 'bitter pill to swallow' as Robinson vows to come again
Hungerford Town boss Danny Robinson was proud of his players despite their disappointing 3-2 defeat to National League North strugglers Farsley Celtic in the fifth round of the FA Trophy.
The Crusaders looked to have a great chance of making it to the quarter-finals when a Jake Evans free-kick gave them the lead but the home side’s inability to deal with Celtic’s long, diagonal balls cost them as three avoidable goals handed the West Yorkshire side a spot in the next round.
“It’s very tough to take,” Robinson said.
“I thought for large parts we were the better side, but Farsley came with a game plan and were very good at the dark arts in terms of knowing when to slow the game down and when to make it difficult for us.
“It’s a bitter pill to swallow because I felt like we played more football and created more chances, but they go through and we don’t.”
Hungerford were unable to cope with Farsley’s long balls into the box and man-mountain defender Andy Butler, who was the target for almost all of the visitors’ balls into the box, grabbed a goal and an assist.
Robinson said: “We just couldn’t deal with it.
“We’re not the biggest side and set-pieces has been an Achilles heel for us this season, we have to be better than that.”
Nevertheless the Crusaders, who are rooted to the bottom of the National League South table, were the last side in the league left in the Trophy and Robinson was proud of his players following their run to the last 16.
“I don’t think anyone would’ve backed us to be the last National League South side to be left in the competition,” he said.
“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved.”
Hungerford have only lost once in the league at home since December and will be hoping to maintain that form ahead of the visit of Hemel Hempstead, who themselves are unbeaten in six in the league, on Saturday.
“There’s only one thing we can do,” Robinson said.
“We’ve got to dust ourselves off and go again, and that’s exactly what we will do.”
