March boss says 'we were nowhere good enough' after FA Cup defeat

March boss Ash Taylor refused to cite injuries and unavailability as reasons after his side crashed out of the Emirates FA Cup at the first attempt this afternoon.

Taylor had keeper Charlie Congreve, midfielder Sam Murphy and striker Ryan Lennon out with injuries for the Extra Preliminary Round tie with Sheringham (report here), while Sam Green was on holiday and Josh Burrows working.

He also lost influential captain Danny Emmington to injury just before half-time, with the score 0-0, but said: "Danny is a big player for us and he leads the back line, so obviously him going off was disruptive, but even before that we were all over the park and we were nowhere near good enough.

"Sheringham deserved the win by a long way. Jonah Gill made so many one on one saves today and without him we could have lost by five or six.

"I told them before the game we mustn't think we've cracked it after winning our first two league games. Before the game the spirits were really good but maybe I had an inkling that certain players were not tuned in and I think that turned out to be evident.

"It's a really disappointing day. In the first two games we were good on the ball, players were brave and we worked hard - none of those things happened today.

"We now have the week to train and get a few things right. There's no need to panic and although we wanted to go through, it's probably best we've had a bad day in the FA Cup rather than the league. But we wanted to give the Cup a really good go."

On the disallowed Craig Gillies goal, Taylor said: "It looked in for me and the players said it was in but the lino said it wasn't. But, whatever, we did not deserve anything from today's game.

"If those missing players were available we would have been stronger, but there was only Jonah and Scott Callaghan showing the fight I expect today. The rest of them were no good.

"We had a lot of supporters here and we were nowhere near good enough and what I want to do is send supporters home with smiles on their faces. Today we sent them home disappointed. We don't want that, we want them excited and happy."

With just two games of the Uhlsport United Counties League Premier Division South season gone, March are top and entertain second placed Coventry United next Saturday.

But Taylor added: "Like us, Coventry have won their first two, but you don't get a good idea about the league until you're about 15 games in, but we will certainly look to react."

Congreve, Emmington, Murphy and Green will still be out for next Saturday's game, but Lennon may be fit and Burrows will be back.

"Some people said to me that our squad is too big," said Taylor, "but I said it wasn't and we are seeing, with so many injuries and unavailabilities already, that I was right."