‘It’s inexplicable’: Banbury United boss lifts lid on Puritans mood before Needham Market clash
“They are naturally flat,” Banbury United interim boss Craig McKay admits of his players’ mood.
There’s a numb feeling around the Banbury United camp at the moment, with the Puritans in the Southern League Premier Central relegation zone.
Tuesday night’s 2-1 defeat away at local rivals Stratford Town certainly didn’t help the morale, as goals from Josh Hawker and Adam Jasper saw the Bards cruise to their first home win over Banbury since December 2018.
To make matters worse, that result followed on from another local derby defeat, against Leamington last Saturday (November 7). A win in either of those matches would have done the Puritans’ confidence the world of good, but they unfortunately fell short.
What cost Banbury in Stratford was a poor second half – a great shame after a dominant and composed first 45 minutes.
After that defeat, interim manager Craig McKay admitted to Puritans Live: “They are naturally flat.
“We get paid to get points on the board and win matches, so they know they have let themselves and the club down tonight.
“It’s a bit inexplicable how we can be that good, solid, organised and structured (in the first half), then come out and not get close, not get blocks in.
“I’ve been referring to it in sessions, our emergency defending – our second and third phases. We can’t get stuck watching the ball.
“Who is picking up? Are we close enough to people? Are we stopping shots? We switch off too much in moments. You’ve got to be razor-sharp in moments.”
It’s not all doom and gloom, however, with defensive midfielder Alex Prosser back from suspension, fellow midfielder Aaron McCreadie set to return from injury and AJ George getting closer to full fitness.
Although Josh Cavallo hurt his hamstring against Stratford, it’s hoped the Aussie’s issue isn’t too serious. At the moment, it’s all about trying to recoup as much energy as possible ahead of this Saturday’s trip to Needham Market.
McKay added: “We’ve got to be really careful what we do, I’ve organised a recovery session because it’s important we nurse a few bumps and bruises and give ourselves the best squad available.”
Banbury’s clash at Bloomfields Stadium gets underway at 3pm on Saturday, November 14.