Brown Disgusted With Cavalier Attitude

[FF News]

TERRY BROWN admits his Margate side are making things hard for themselves with their "cavalier" style.

Gate squeezed past Folkestone Invicta in their Kent Senior Cup quarter-final tie on Tuesday night, with the visitors twice hitting the post in a second half that Brown described as "diabolical".

Brown's men even had the frustration of dropping to third in the Ryman Premier League table that night as Dulwich Hamlet – and, for that matter, leaders Maidstone United – both won.

That was a contrast to Saturday when, after their game with AFC Hornchurch was called off, their two nearest rivals both suffered defeats.

But ahead of the trips to Witham Town and Billericay Town this week, Brown is expecting close encounters – brought on by his side's propensity for attacking football.

"Teams give us a good game every game because we're so wide open and cavalier," he said.

"We've got to start keeping some clean sheets.

"We can't afford to lose too many more, I'm hoping we play better than we did on Tuesday.

"I'm not over-worried about the six points Maidstone have got because there's still a lot of ups and downs to come.

"I'm sure they won't be jumping through hoops about beating Bury.

"All you've got to do is keep calm and win the next game. Our game is Witham, it'll be a tight affair – but we'll have three or four fresh faces."

Lewis Taylor and Freddie Ladapo were the goalscorers against Invicta – both first-half strikes either side of Ian Draycott's effort for the visitors – but Matt Newman and Ashley Miller both hit the woodwork after the interval as Gate floundered.

And Brown added: "I'm really disappointed with the performance. It was a very good game and Folkestone deserved something out of it. I thought we were awful in the second half, it was like everything I'd said, nothing went in.

"With the exception of Luke Moore, who did well, the goalie [Matt Armstrong-Ford] did OK, and I thought Tam [Eyong] was the best player on the park, he came out with the ball regularly and it's a good job he did because no one else in the midfield did that.

"I thought we were absolutely diabolical in the second half.

"They would have deserved to take it to penalties – they gave everything and we didn't give enough in the second half.

"We thought we could build on the first half, but it didn't happen, we lost too many battles in the second half and I'm really, really disappointed.

"Some people have made my mind up today and they haven't done themselves any favours."

Despite Brown's stinging criticism, his side are into the last four, and they will learn their fate in the draw on Tuesday night.

Gillingham and the winners of the tie between Maidstone United and Charlton Athletic could await – but so could Thanet rivals Ramsgate.

And Brown said: "I suppose a local derby would be good, but no doubt that would be tight.

"It's not something I'm focusing on – I've just got to focus on the league for the time being."

www.thanetgazette.co.uk/

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