Shropshire Star

Gavin Cowan: Telford went 'off-script'

Bucks boss Gavin Cowan believes his side went 'off script' in today's defeat to Stockport County and he didn't recognise them for the majority of the game.

Published

They first fell behind to a Nyal Bell strike on ten minutes, before Shane Sutton headed his troops level on the half hour mark.

Matty Warburton's free kick was cancelled out by Brendon Daniels in the second half, but Warburton struck again soon after the take the points.

Bucks boss Cowan was again frustrated with his side who are now three without a win, and said they didn't apply themselves correctly in the first half.

He said: "It is frustrating for many reasons, one is that we scored two goals away from home at a place like Stockport and have not come away with anything.

"We didn't turn up for 29 minutes and I can't put my finger on why.

"We were not reliable and we were off script.

"We didn't compete for 29 minutes, then decided to play for 11 and we were superb.

"Then for the last five minutes of the half we went into meltdown again.

"Fortunately after playing for only 11 minutes we managed to get in at 1-1.

"Today, that wasn't a team I recognise, that was not my team and the way I expect them to play."

Cowan admitted he did expect his side to go to the league's second placed side and win.

He added: "We were not reliable today and made poor decisions.

"I did expect us to come here and win.

"I looked at it critically and thought we could get something from it, and not to sound arrogant I thought we could win.

"But we didn't play anywhere near the levels we can do."

The Bucks were slow out of the blocks against the Harriers, who had the majority of the pressure in the first period.

Cowan wants his players to get back to the script from minute one in games, and start fast in a bid to get back on the winning trail.

He added: "We can give all the instructions on the side, but ultimately on the pitch it has to come for the lads.

"All season we have been working to a script, but we have gone off that.

"Don't get me wrong we were brilliant in fits and starts, but you can't just do that when you come here."