Looking Back in Anger

The look in John Sheridan’s face told, not to mention the tone of his voice, told you all you needed to know about his feelings following Argyle’s 1-1 draw at Accrington on Saturday.

For those insensitive to others moods, he was happy to spell it out, using the word ‘angry’, or a derivative four times in his short post-match media briefing.

“This is probably the angriest I’ve been all season,” the Pilgrims’ manager declared, as an opening gambit.

“We’ve got a draw. Not good enough for me.”

The main cause of his ire was his players’ inability to build on, or even to hang on to, the first-half lead given them by striker Reuben Reid’s 19th goal of the season.

They were eventually pegged back with 10 minutes to go when Tom Aldred headed home a cross by former Pilgrim Lee Molyneux from close range.

With in-form York winning, Argyle slipped out of the division’s play-off places, just four days after reaching them following a 2-1 beating of league leaders Chesterfield.

“The game was definitely there for the taking,” said John. “Once you get a goal up, just see the game through.

“So many times, we put ourselves under pressure, it was unbelievable. We put ourselves under pressure in the second half from three corners in identical positions.

“That’s a middle-of the table or relegation team: Scunthorpe or Chesterfield wouldn’t have done that. That’s the difference between them and us.

“I am angry, and I’ve told [the players] that I’m angry because we’ve got enough experience on the pitch to see the game through, and people are just doing their own little thing.

“What an opportunity there, and it’s just know-how on the pitch, the players having know-how.

“You don’t try and pass the ball in the middle of the pitch, where it’s muddy. You try and get the ball down the side, and when we did that, we caused a threat. We had good possession and we always looked threat on the counter, but we just do the basic things...argh – unbelievable.

“It’s just the basics. I say it all the time – repeat, repeat, repeat: the basics.”

“I’m really angry. That is a great opportunity of getting three points and putting ourselves in a healthy position, and we’ve just let it go.

“They have just lost two points. Full credit to Accrington – they came back into the game, but we gave them a bit of belief by doing stupid things, and we end up conceding a goal.

“It’s probably the heat of the moment but I’m not happy at all. I just think it was a really, really good opportunity, and we’ve just let it go.

“The goal is a joke. I can see it happening, and I’m 80 yards away. How long was there to go when they scored? Ten minutes? It does my head in at times.

“I tell you. It is unbelievable how we just let it go.

“I’m hurting. I hope some of them are hurting.”