McKenna paid full credit to Maidstone to lose a horrible match following
McKenna: Credit to Maidstone, a Horrible Game to Lose
Saturday, 27th Jan 2024 16:04
Blues boss Kieran McKenna paid full credit to Maidstone following the National League South side’s 2-1 FA Cup victory over the Blues at Portman Road and admitted it was “a horrible game to lose”.
Goals from Lamar Reynolds and Sam Corne sandwiched Jeremy Sarmiento’s first home goal for the Blues to see the non-league side to a famous victory.
First of all, it’s full credit to Maidstone, it’s a fantastic day for them, they worked ever so hard for it,” McKenna said.
“Of course, they rode their luck as well, but they were very, very clinical and they showed a fantastic spirit to get the result.
“It’s a bad day for us and it’s a lot of disappointment and we’re going to have to live with that and produce a response next week.
“I thought we started ever so well, I can’t really fault the attitude. We prepared the game well, we started terrifically and that’s irrespective of the level of the opponent.
“I thought it was a really good start to the game, we had big chances, we hit the woodwork a couple of times, the keeper produced some fantastic saves and the longer the game goes on like that, our belief drops a little bit.
“They defend with more resolution and at that stage they’re hoping for a moment and they got it with the corner.
“We had an injury on the edge of the box that we should have communicated better on the pitch. They broke away and got the goal that really
The result illustrated that the magic of cup is still alive with shocks still happening every round.
“We really didn’t want to be on the end of one and we prepared the game well and respected the opponent and did some good things in the game,” McKenna reflected.
“But that’s cup competitions, it happens every year, it happens all over the world, it’s happened to better teams than us before in terms of being knocked out by a side in the lower reaches, and it’s Maidstone’s day.
“Of course, We’ve had lots of good days over the last couple of years here, we’ve not had too many bad ones, but today is their day and they deserve to enjoy their celebrations and we wish them all the best for the next round.”
McKenna made 10 changes, as he has so often in cup matches, but felt that wasn’t a factor in the defeat.
“We’ve been consistent with that,” he said. “We did it for Wolves in the Carabao Cup this year, for example and won the game.
“We utilised the squad in the cup competitions, it’s a necessity for us really with the competition and the level that we’re competing with in the Championship this year and with how much of a stretch that is for our play
“The goals, and certainly the first goal, is something that we need to learn from. But I think it’s more disappointment at this stage, disappointment for the supporters mostly and for everyone at the football club that we’ve not managed to go through to the next round of the cup, which the club hasn’t done in a long time [
