'No excuses’ for Tadcaster Albion's ‘horrific’ defending, says angry Mick O'Connell after Frickley Athletic loss

Relegated from the Northern Premier League at the end of last season, the new-look Brewers kicked off their 2023/24 NCEL Premier Division campaign with a 2-0 defeat at Thackley on Saturday.

And despite goals in each half from Lewis Stephens and Dan Thirkell, they finished up on the losing side once again in midweek, with their new manager left both bewildered and angry at the full-time whistle.

“I just don’t understand what has happened in that game,” O’Connell said.

"We dominated the first half and go in 2-1 down. Fair play to Frickley, they’ve sat in and done us on the break, but defensively we were terrible, we have been cut open with two passes.

"We pride ourselves on being solid without the ball and having a structure and you can’t defend like that at any level of football, or you’ll get punished.

"We’re getting caught in-between. We’re not pressing, we’re not dropping off, we’re not doing anything and at this level all teams will do is play over the top of you, down the sides or put it in behind you. We’re not being aggressive enough higher up the pitch to stop it.

"It's poor, poor defending. There’s no excuse for it, it’s just horrific. We have to be more street-wise.”

Reflecting on Saturday’s season-opener at Thackley, O’Connell added: "First half, I thought we were good, controlled the game and moved the ball well but we lost complete control of it in the second half.

"We stopped doing the basics well and were sloppy in possession.”

Albion return to action this Saturday when they host Redcar Athletic in the FA Cup extra preliminary round, 3pm kick-off.