Rushden & Diamonds manager Garry Hill felt there were several talking points after Cambridge United's 2-1 win there on Tuesday evening.
Mark Beesley put United into a two-goal second half lead with a brace of well-taken strikes, and although the home side halved the deficit almost immediately the U's resisted their late pressure to clinch the win. But Hill felt his side were wrongly disallowed an offside 'goal' and also were denied a further goalscoring opportunity.
"I wasn't disappointed with the performance," he began. "We said to the players there would be a lot of questions asked by everybody after the Aldershot cup final game and losing to sudden death penalties - especially playing against a team who are pushing for promotion.
"For the first ten minutes you bossed it as you stroked it around well without really creating anything, but holding on to possession well. We had to stay in there and I felt we did and slowly but surely we were back on top up until half-time. Probably with a little more composure in front of goal we could have come in one or two goals up, so I was very happy with a positive first half."
But the second half was a different matter, as he explained: "I said to the players we had to work just as hard again and earn the right to create and we would go from there. But at the end of the day you've had two shots on target tonight and scored two goals.
"We've probably had eight shots on target, scored one, and had one unfairly disallowed in that Lee Tomlin came from behind the fullback, got the other side of him and it amazed me that it was disallowed.
"And it amazed me more when Michael Rankine got through on a one-on-one, one of your players was laying on his back sunbathing (the injured Danny Brown), and the linesman flagged for offside when he was through. While I respect the assistant turning round and saying he got it wrong, it just shows the very thin dividing line at the moment. We are not getting the breaks."
Hill pointed to the quality of United's strikers as the main reason for the result, and went on to wish the U's luck in gaining promotion this season.
"When I look at the top of the table, Aldershot have John Grant, there's Sills and Phillips in the goals at Torquay, Daryl Clare at Burton and of course you had Rendell and still have Lee Boylan as well as Mark Beesley, who has now scored four here this season - including his two last time he was here with Forest Green.
"We had Simeon Jackson but we have not had that level of quality in the last third that could move us to the level you are at and we want to be at. We need that quality like you've had tonight in the way you took your chances when you were on top, and good luck to you.
"I think you will be in the play-offs, you are an experienced side that are capable of at least that. But - and it's a big 'but' - I feel it's got to be this year for you. You'll have Stevenage, Torquay and possibly Exeter involved, who are all massive clubs at this level and sides who will all feel they have a right to be in the Football League.
"So it will be hard for you and I wish you all the best, but with budgets tightening everywhere if it's not this year it will be even harder next year - just look at Oxford this year," Hill warned.
"But you've got big game players and they've brought out the best in your younger lads, so you have as good a chance as all the others. Only time will tell. For us I can't wait for this season to end - next year will be a different race!"
Interview by David Gray
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