JIMMY Floyd Hasselbaink said the loss of Michael Mancienne early in the game set his team back as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Cheltenham in front of the Sky TV cameras.
The Brewers manager said: “We started well, we were in control and then Mancienne comes off and we lose the momentum. We needed then to change things but nevertheless it’s disappointing that we conceded a goal from a long ball. They had one shot on goal, and they scored.
“In the second half it was a little bit better, we began to create a little bit more and we got in good areas and scored a really good goal. But after that we couldn’t really get them in enough trouble to go on and get that second that we needed. We tried to force it, but it didn’t happen.
“But we came back from losing and that’s a good point. We just need to work a little bit harder on the ball and have more confidence when we have it.
“Cheltenham are a very difficult team to breakdown. Trying to play through them is the hardest thing in football and we needed to move the ball quicker and make better decisions. But that is a learning curve, and the danger with that is losing the ball and getting hurt so you need to build from a platform.
“It’s always a rollercoaster and it’s about staying calm and giving them the confidence, showing them that they are good players and making them understand they can do so much more.”
The loss of Mancienne is another blow to the Brewers who have had consistent bad luck with injuries this season.
Hasselbaink said: “It was a hamstring. He’s not somebody who cries and comes off but hopefully it’s not for long.”