Wisbech Town manager Alex Street apologises after worst performance under his tenure

Wisbech Town 1, Lincoln United 5

United Counties League Premier Division North

Wisbech Town manager Alex Street apologised to the fans after an awful performance saw his side’s three-match unbeaten run easily brushed aside this afternoon.

The Fenmen started poorly and conceded after just seven minutes, but equalised soon after from a great Joe Reed free kick from the edge of the box and were on top for a spell before capitulating to trail 4-1 at the break.

Five substitutions in the second half by Street made little difference as the second-place Whites cruised to victory.

A frustrated Street told the Citizen: “I want to apologise to the fans. For the first time since I have been at the football club, I am embarrassed. It’s the worst performance I’ve seen since I have been in charge and I am not happy with it. If I were one of the players I would not want to pick my wages up – but they will.

“I need my players to want to be successful and to want to do well and that mentality helps you progress as a football team. I thought we’d turned a corner with the last three performances and so today I am gutted.

“We could be out there for another two days and we wouldn’t find a red shirt with a pass. It was Sunday League stuff and Lincoln did not have to get out of third gear.

“We started slowly and gave them the first goal, got back into it and then we gave three poor goals away. There are not many players out there today who deserve more than four out of ten.

“I take responsibility as I picked the team but my midfield was second best all over the park and chased shadows all game and our defenders didn’t win first headers. The forwards did okay with the service they were getting but the damage was done by half-time.

“We didn’t show enough desire or fight to get anything from the game. I am very disappointed. I hope they go home and think about their performances as they were all miles off the standards I set for this football club. It was nowhere near what I expect and I won’t put up with too many more performances like that.

“Lincoln did not have to work too hard to get a result today, and I’m disappointed at that. We gifted goals and it was too easy, it was basic stuff.”

Thirteenth-place Wisbech Town are next in action when they entertain eighth-place Deeping Rangers on Boxing Day (3pm kick-off) before travelling to play second-from-bottom side Pinchbeck United next Saturday. Pinchbeck won 3-1 at Deeping this afternoon in the day’s surprise result.

Street added: “Deeping know how to do the right thing, they know how to win ugly and they know we are struggling and if we don’t start fast against them we know how it’s going to end up.

“It’s a massive game in a competitive league and I’ve now got to get more consistency from my players. I know we are better than a bottom-half side in this division but with performances like today you get what you deserve.”

Wisbech: George, Reed (Howe 83 mins), Mattless, Miller (Hall 45), Twite, Hart (Murphy 45), Wilson (Kacirek 52), O Williams, Ward, A Williams, Allen (Conyard 72). Attendance: 226.

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