Notts County Manager Shaun Derry spoke to Magpie Player after the disappointing 1-0 defeat to Preston North End in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.
Having come so close to a potential trip to Wembley, Derry couldn’t hide his disappointment after such a close game on Tuesday night, saying afterwards: “It’s a disappointing night, of course it is, when you’ve come this far and we’ve played well in the competition.
“I thought it was a real close game tonight, a game with limited chances for both sides and we’re disappointed with the goal that we’ve conceded.
“To lose with that type of goal is perhaps my overwhelming disappointment to be honest. It was a scruffy game, like I said, one with very few chances for both but the difference is that they’re going home and they’re going to be in the final and they’ve done it just by putting their body on the line and they got a stroke of fortune with the goal.”
Ultimately Derry felt that it was his side’s lack of a clinical edge that cost them on the night, adding: “When you get them chances you just want to be a little bit more, I suppose, clinical with them and if that’s my disappointment tonight it was that we had some good chances. The first half where we hit the bar twice, that’s got to go in that and it hasn’t and it gives the opposition a chance to stay in the game.
“We had another good chance in the second half with Stephen and we’ve not took it and, like I say, when you come up against opponents like that, I think they’ve conceded less goals than us this season, so they’re going to defend for their lives and you have to take your chances because they’re few and far between.”
Subscribers can watch the full post-match interview with Shaun Derry on Magpie Player