FRUSTRATIONS were running high at 5pm on Saturday evening. Whether it was those at the game venting their grievances or on the various social media platforms, you could see our result had gone down like a lead balloon with the fans. The frustration was palpable and understandable.

In the last couple of years, Martin Gray’s contempt for the cup competitions could be seen by his team selections. Reserves and kids would get a run out. This year was going to be different. With the money and attention that a run in the FA Cup brings, even Gray himself was signed up for a proper push. Heaven knows with the work being done at Blackwell Meadows ahead of our return to Darlington, some additional media exposure and the money that comes with it would have been handy. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

Gary Brown’s dismissal certainly didn’t help although we weren’t numerically disadvantaged for long. Using the game to trial a 4-3-3 formation in an attempt to stem the goals conceded column in the league, the pre-game tactics were ripped up before it could be seen whether it might work.

As has been the case all season, we looked at our most vulnerable defensively when attacking. So careless and lacking in concentration when going forward, as we’ve been in pretty much every game so far this season, it was only a matter of time before our opponents of two divisions beneath us would hit us where it hurts.

The absence of Kevin Burgess is massive. The Phil Turnbull-sized hole in midfield isn’t helpful either. That said, those absences shouldn’t facilitate defending of schoolboy proportions and yet time and time again it does. Playing on a lush field of meadow-length grass didn’t help, but errors are errors.

If I’m honest, I actually thought we were a little unlucky. Bad defending aside, given it’s a constant, if that had been a league game rather than the cup, I suspect the post-match reaction would have been different. I suspect the view would have been that we were a little unlucky not to secure at least a draw. In the second half, their keeper did exactly what he has done to us before, pulling off a string of excellent saves to deny us. On another day, we could have scored three or four goals.

One massive positive from the game was the performance of new signing Josh Falkingham in the centre of midfield. Strong in the tackle, surprisingly good in the air considering his height and efficient passing, he looks to be another excellent addition to the side. Slowly and steadily, Gray is upgrading our playing talent. Hopefully, with players returning from injury and games coming at more sensible rate, we will get an idea of what the manager’s preferred starting XI is.

Saturday sees us entertain third-bottom Stalybridge Celtic at Heritage Park. Having struggled to get over the line against other sides destined to battle against relegation, it would be nice to see a response from what happened at Lancaster.

Having conceded nine goals in their six away matches, it’s clear that Stalybridge aren’t going to ship a whole load of goals. Hopefully, we can show a bit more patience than in recent weeks, avoid over-committing in search of goals and maybe even secure one of the rarest of things this season – a clean sheet. It is doable.