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Ian Evatt believes an eight-game month finally caught up with Wanderers as they slipped to a 3-1 defeat at Portsmouth.
After leading the game 1-0 through Dion Charles’s 18th goal of the season, Pompey rallied with three goals in 18 second-half minutes to clinch the points.
Ryley Towler scored twice before former Accrington striker Colby Bishop added a third – all of which came from set pieces.
“We had done the hard part and got ourselves ahead,” Evatt said. “We looked relatively comfortable, (James) Trafford hadn’t had much to do before the first goal.
“But it is three set plays. We speak about the fine details, the small margins in football matches, and we have not done our jobs. It isn’t like us, really. We look like a team that had played eight games this month, fatigued and tired, and this is a really tough place to come.
“We will dust ourselves down and go again. The players have given everything this month.
“Other teams are going to have to play seven or eight-game months, so we are in a strong position.
“We’ll debrief the goals and go again.”
Charles put his side ahead three minutes after half time, and Wanderers should have scored a second through Kyle Dempsey which may well have put the game to bed.
But Pompey grew in belief as the rain and wind got up on the Solent, and they eventually capitalised on some poor defending to win the game.
“We were comfortable second half, in control, and the goal came out of the blue,” Evatt said.
“That is football and what happens when you don’t do your jobs from set plays.
“We had spoken about this on Monday. It had happened too many times against Port Vale where we didn’t get punished. It happened again tonight.
“I think it was mental fatigue. In general play we didn’t give away too many chances.
“It is not doing your job at set plays. Resting when you should be organising and getting set quickly.
“That was especially the case for the second one. The first one we allow a free runner and didn’t get any physical contact, and that is not like us.
“There has to be something in the fact they were mentally drained.
“But as I say, it is one defeat. We will get ready for Morecambe on Saturday.”
Wanderers also got some bad news in the warm-up, as striker Victor Adeboyejo pulled out with an injury.
“The players have put a lot into this month. Victor hurt the same hamstring in the warm-up, so that is why he wasn’t able to come on and affect the game,” Evatt said.
“We will see how he is by the weekend but at the moment it is pretty sore.”
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