Swindon Town Head Coach Ben Garner gave an honest assessment of his team's 2-0 loss to Barrow at the Dunes Hotel Stadium this afternoon.
On what was a very wet day at Holker Street, two second-half penalties sunk the Reds who dropped their second straight game away from home.
In the wake of the loss, Garner met with the local media to give his thoughts on the result, the performance and a lot more...
Garner On Result & Performance...
"I thought first-half we started the game well and I thought we were the better side in the first-half.
"There was nothing in the game at the start of the second-half, and the first penalty decision changes the momentum of the game and the second one completely changes it and that made it hard for us.
"We didn't do enough in the second-half to break them down, but on a pitch that is cut up and difficult conditions it was hard at 1-0.
"We were still in the game but at 2-0 it was taken out of our reach with the second penalty.
"I can't fault the effort of the players today, that's three away games in a week and it wasn't due to a lack of endeavour.
"They (Barrow) hadn't had a shot on target until they were given the penalty and that changes the game.
"As much as we want to keep it on us and look at what we can do better, which we will do, that decision massively changes the game.
"That's a frustrating week for us with two defeats but it is what it is. We've got to dust ourselves down, we've got a full week now to prepare for Walsall and we've got to take the positives from today, learn the lessons and look ahead to Walsall."
Garner On Lack Of End Product...
"We got into some good positions in the first-half but we maybe didn't make the right decision on the pass and we were unlucky with one or two.
"Kaine Kesler-Hayden had a great shot, the keeper made a great save and we had a couple of balls flashing across the goal.
"Tyreece Simpson had a chance and it was just the final bit.
"It was hard in the second-half because once they go 1-0 up they sit in and the pitch had cut up with the weather here and it was hard to open them up.
"We kept trying and probing and it wasn't through a lack of effort or a lack of trying, we just didn't get that quality in the final-third and that's what we'll look at.
"We'll look at ourselves first."
Garner On Penalty Decisions...
"I'm just disappointed that we've prepared, we've travelled all this way, supporters have come up in their numbers and had a very long journey and the game has been decided by two very poor decisions.
"They are wrong and they are not penalties.
"They've not had a shot on goal in the game, they haven't scored in their last six games and the referee gives them a penalty.
"Unless that rule has changed, it is not an unnatural position, Kaine Kesler-Hayden is running back to try and stop a cross and as he does it has touched his hand and I've not seen one of those given in the league all season, it is given here today and it changes the game.
"The second one Ben Gladwin is pulled by their player before making the tackle, he then has to lunge in, he still gets the ball and he still gets a penalty for that.
"For the game to be changed by those decisions is very, very frustrating."
Garner On Dion Conroy's Red Card...
"I don't know what that was and I'll get to the bottom of that.
"It isn't right but it is frustration and it is too regular an occurrence.
"It is a frustrated group of players because it seems to be happening on a regular basis where we should have had so many penalties given for us not given, and then we have two go against us that aren't penalties.
"I understand their frustration, you can't vent it in that way and I'm not defending it in any way but there is clear frustration."
