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Ian Evatt didn’t spare Wanderers the sharp end of his tongue after they crashed out of the Papa John’s Trophy at Hartlepool United.
Despite dominating long periods of the game, a late mistake from Joel Dixon gifted a goal to home striker Matty Daly to see them through to the quarter finals.
Wanderers missed a slew of first half chances but would at least have had the fall-back of penalties if they had held on for the final six minutes.
“I am furious, absolutely furious,” Evatt complained. “They are not in the game. We controlled the entire game apart from the first five to 10 minutes and we haven’t scored in the first half, which is typical of us, creating lots and lots and just not been ruthless enough.
“We then just gifted them the game. They didn’t do anything to win it themselves, we just went ‘there we go, have it’. I am furious and speechless to be honest that we have given them a game when we controlled the majority of it.”
Wanderers struggled to break down Hartlepool’s low defensive block but looked brighter in the first half, particularly through debutants Dion Charles and Marlon Fossey.
They peppered the home goal with shots but too often found bodies in the way, leading to a frustrating evening for nearly 400 travelling fans.
“We lacked belief, confidence, composure, execution, everything,” Evatt said. “This type of night, cold, wind, bumpy pitch, it is always going to be one goal in it and you have to score and take your chances.
“To lose a game like that is absolutely infuriating.
“With the ball we did a lot right without scoring but that last 10 minutes was unforgivable.
“I think we have missed an unbelievable opportunity to get to Wembley.
“We have just gifted it to the opposition. There are lots of things we could say and lots of debris I can sift through but right now that hurts. We have beaten ourselves and that has happened too often this season.”
Dixon’s unforced error at the end left Wanderers with too much to do. And Evatt says his keeper must hold up his hands and accept the criticism which will inevitably come his way.
“He has to take it on the chin,” the manager said. “When you are a footballer you will make mistakes like that, we all do, and when you do you have to own up to them.
“Yes, Joel cost us the game with the mistake but we had enough chances to have been out of sight. We all need accountability.
“We are all working tirelessly to turn it around. The debutants did well and the other players who have been suffering with Covid will get better but there is no way anyone here tonight can accept we should have lost that game.”
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