South Shields FC showed 'too much respect' to FC Halifax Town in FA Cup defeat - Williamson

Mike Williamson believes South Shields FC left themselves with ‘a mountain to climb’ as their hopes of progressing into the FA Cup first round went up in smoke at National League club FC Halifax Town.

The Mariners always needed to make a solid start at The Shay as they looked to spring a surprise - but found themselves three goals down by the time the midway point of the first-half had been reached. Striker Conor Carty, who Williamson signed on loan during his time in charge of Gateshead, put the hosts in front just before the quarter-hour mark before doubling his tally two minutes after Max Bardell had grabbed the Shaymen’s second goal of the day.

After speaking some ‘home truths’ in the dressing room at the break, Williamson got the reaction he wanted as Cedwyn Scott reduced the arrears with 20 minutes remaining before Toby Onanaye raised hopes of a comeback just over 60 seconds later. However, an equaliser remained out of reach and Williamson believes his players were punished for showing too much respect to their higher level hosts.

He told the club website: “How the game ended was really pleasing in terms of our ability to get back into the game, the character, the personality, the energy we showed and I thought we were good for three goals in the second-half. But the problem is the way we start and I’m not sure if it’s just too much respect or fear that we played with in the first-half. We tried to move the ball but we just didn’t react in transition, they smothered us and I think there were ten minutes with three goals and we can’t do that, especially to a team this good because they are very, very good at home. We had a mountain to climb. It wasn’t tactical at half-time, it was just a few home truths and the boys responded unbelievably.

Stunned

There were positives for the former Newcastle United defender to take from the defeat as he praised his players for their reaction after the break and he insisted they could have won the game if they had started the tie in a similar manner.

He said: “We have worked in terms of out of possession this week and I think when we look back, it was individual mistakes - but as a collective, as a team, I felt after the first goal we were stunned a little bit and then it took the wind out of our sails. We have to make sure that doesn’t happen and we manufacture that desire, that fire to be like we were in the second-half. It wasn’t tactical, it was just a refusal to lose your duels and take territory. We hunted and fought in packs and if we do that from the first minute, I think we win the game.”

The Mariners will now focus their attention on next weekend’s home game with National League North rivals Chester.

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