Whitley’s FA Cup run finally came to an end at Altrincham and manager Andy Gowens was quick to acknowledge the quality of their National League North opponents. “It was tough, but we knew it would be, and without really making an excuse we’ve come with six players missing and the squad in depth is then really tested. I thought we accounted really well for the first 30 to 40 minutes. Even after the first goal I thought we were still in the game. The plan, a bit like the Whitby game, was to keep it tight for the first 20 minutes and take the game in ten minute chunks, and we were doing that well but it’s always going to be difficult once you go down to ten.
“Their centre forward maybe caused us problems early on and got between players for their first goal, but apart from that we did really well defensively, but we didn’t really bother them as such. Then when you get somebody sent off after 40 minutes it’s always going to be massively difficult, you’ve just got to hope that you get something, maybe from a free kick or a mistake and get a draw. I thought the red card was a bit harsh, I thought it was more of a coming together. I didn’t even think he was in a position where it was an obvious goal scoring chance anyway, there were other people around him but that’s the way it goes. It changed the game massively. It spoiled the game for us, it changed the whole perspective of the game with their extra man. They were moving us around even with eleven and it just got more difficult when we went down to ten.
“At 1-0 and down to ten men we go in at half time and we think we’ve got a chance, we’re still in it, but then in the second half their class really came through with the quality of their players and their passing. The way they were moving it around really caused us problems, which is bound to happen with the quality they’ve got. That quality showed in the end so credit to them but I’m really proud of the players they’ve worked their socks off, we couldn’t ask for any more.
“It’s been a good run and three games in, that’s the nature of this cup now, unless you’re lucky with the draw, you’re going to be playing really quality sides and their quality shone through. I cannot grumble in the end how we played, what we did, we worked really hard and did everything we could have expected them to do.”
