Frustration for Burgess as Diamonds let a lead slip again

As they did in Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Basford United, Diamonds took the lead against Hitchin Town at Hayden Road last night (Tuesday) courtesy of an own-goal after good work by recent signing Conor Tee.

But the visitors equalised just a minute later through Stephen Cawley and they went on to secure a 2-1 victory when Jack Morrell converted a second-half penalty after Diamonds had been penalised for handball in the area.

And boss Burgess conceded his team’s second-half display wasn’t “good enough”.

“I thought we did okay in the first half,” the Diamonds manager said.

“We knew they’d go 3-5-2 and we tried to pin their wing-backs back and, at times, we did that well and we controlled the middle area of the pitch well.

“We didn’t do enough in the final third and we had a great chance when Jack Connor has lobbed the goalkeeper but it’s gone wide.

“But we got our noses in front and then we got hit with a bit of a sucker-punch before half-time.

“With their goal coming so soon after ours, it felt like they were coming in on top.

“But in the second half we weren’t good enough. We didn’t move the ball well enough and it was end-to-end with very little quality.

“They got a penalty and it looks like another contentious decision, which is frustrating.

“It felt like a similar performance and situation as Saturday.

“We have to regroup and go again, that’s all we can do.”

Diamonds are back in action at Alvechurch at the weekend.