JAKE Buxton was left cursing his team’s luck after going out of the FA Cup at Barnet.
The Brewers hit the woodwork twice, created numerous opportunities but found a home team who despite being down to ten men threw bodies in the way of shots and held out for a cup upset.
Buxton also confirmed that Barnet’s goal came courtesy of a deflection to add to his team’s misfortune.
The Albion manager said: “It was going to be one of those days. I think we wouldn’t have got the goal however long we would have played with the luck at the minute - we just can’t get a break, that’s for sure.
“At times this season we haven’t earned it but not today we did enough to earn a break. The football we played and the opportunities we created should have resulted in us putting the ball in the back of the net, but ultimately if you don’t and they can get a break you go out.
We weren’t trying to be cautious. We are trying to win games, we had attacking players out on the pitch and we are trying to play the right way, not resorting to putting a centre half up top after 60 minutes and going direct. That’s not what we want to do.
“I never used to like talking about luck and breaks but I felt today that we didn’t get any,
“Once they were a goal ahead and had a man sent off it was two banks of four and trying to catch us on the break, but we pushed them back and the amount of crosses and balls in the box we had we deserved a goal, it just didn’t fall for us. We couldn’t do much more – except put the ball in the back of the net
“We continued to play and I have got no problem with how we went about the second half. I asked for a bit more quality after the first half and in the second half we got that but it just didn’t fall for us. Kane has hit the bar, Sam has had two headers blocked on the line, Niall, Charles, Lucas have all had a go but their keeper, centre half and left back have all put big performances in and made big blocks.
“When we block one it has come off a shoulder and gone in our net.”
Buxton now has to pick his side up for Tuesday’s Papa John’s Trophy tie with Fulham Under 21s and then Hull away in League One on Saturday.
He said: “You get yourselves in a rut and it’s my job to get us out of that rut. We try and be positive and encourage the boys. It’s tough because some days you don’t play well and then don’t win a game but today, we did play well and did enough to at least get a goal.
“On Tuesday some lads who have not featured who will get a run out and then we build to Hull.
“We will continue to do as much as we can do to get a result. We will keep working on the training pitch and hopefully get that touch of luck and a bit of a break to go our way.”