Steve Castle on FA Cup Exit

Hi Everyone. Sorry that I haven't added anything recently. No real excuse other than going back to my college and being inundated there.

We are still looking for that consistency from our results. A good comprehensive win against Aylesbury was followed by a frustrating loss of maximum points after being in a comfortable 2-0 score line! To draw eventually 2-2 with St Ives was a result I didn't find acceptable especially at home!

And so on to our Saturday game against Brightlingsea Regent in the FA Cup. Wow!! What a game!! But for all the wrong reasons.

We started brightly and created several half chances, enough to suggest that the opener would surely come soon. Then they got through in one of their rare chances on goal and unfortunately Ryan Wharton brought one of their lads down for a penalty! Bad enough but then the ref deemed it a professional foul and we were down to ten players.

Brightlingsea scored from the resultant penalty making us 1-0 down.

So ten players,1-0 down all to do! The lads worked incredibly hard to get back into it and close to half time got our deserved leveller!! Plenty of drama eh!!

Well, the second half brought more. Against the run of play Brightlingsea got themselves back in front. We thought a foul had occurred in our penalty box but the ref decided not to blow where previously he had when he disallowed a perfectly well worked goal from Scott Bridges.

Yet again the lads rolled up their sleeves and another Scott Bridges effort was this time allowed and we were back into it. Enough drama you say!! 'Oh no' still more to come. Chris Watters got sent off for a second yellow after a very soft 'foul' Bringing us to a one man down again!!

We held on and in my opinion they had run out of ideas, when in the very last minute they put themselves ahead once more. This time giving us no chance to reply. I was like everyone else gutted. It was very unjust. The ref played a major part in the game but fair play to Brightlingsea and good luck to them in the next round.

As manager of the football club I apologise for my actions on that day. I will be fined by the club and quite rightly so. Football is a passionate game and sometimes emotions can get the better of you. For my part I did not swear at the referee, but told him my thoughts. We as players and staff are very sorry for the result and realise the significance of it but all we can do now is get back into the league and prove that we are the title challengers we know we are!!

Cheers
SC