YATE Town manager Rob Cousins said his side were ‘a bit Jekyll and Hyde’ as they went out of the Gloucestershire County Cup at the semi-final stage via a 1-0 defeat to Shortwood United at Lodge Road on Tuesday evening.

Yate were dominant in the second-half but only came really to life after Shortwood midfielder Josh Egan had put his side ahead with a sloppily-conceded goal.

Cousins said the defeat was disappointing after a great 2-0 league win away at Bridgwater Town on Saturday and ahead of this weekend’s difficult clash at Cinderford Town, who are just two places below Yate in the Evo-Stik League Southern Division One South and West table.

The manager said: “We were just a bit hesitant. Whether it is confidence or a lack of desire, I don’t know. And I am disappointed because last Saturday at Bridgwater, we were superb. It was a good squad team performance and tonight it did not happen.

“It is a bit Jekyll and Hyde. A good performance away on Saturday and an indifferent one tonight.

“I was disappointed the way their player walks through unchallenged with only their second chance all night to score and then, at the other end, the ball is just dying for us to toe-poke it in.

“We worked hard and huffed and puffed but we are not giving ourselves a chance by getting into good areas to attack the ball.”

It was not for the want of ball into the Shortwood danger area, though, which mainly came supplied from good crosses by left-back Jake Cox.

Cousins added: “There were a couple of times he could have got the ball in a little bit earlier, he chopped and changed, goes from one direction to the other and you think a little bit earlier would make a difference.”

But, with Cinderford looming on Saturday and then another clash with Shortwood the following weekend, this time in the league, Cousins thinks he and the squad know what needs to be done.

“They have got to do it themselves. They speak about where they want to be and that means getting a run of results. I am disappointed because, for them, it was a chance to get a bit of silverware to show for the season which is a long season with a small squad. Again we picked up injuries which is worrying. Bradley Abrahams is ill and not one hundred per cent and Josh Ford picked up a bit of a niggle which is not ideal.

“We need to up it. The last twenty minutes when we were a goal behind, we upped the tempo and we need to start with that tempo. It is sometimes very difficult to raise your game and you have to start high, be positive, get on the front foot, take the game to the opposition and we seemed to lack that a bit tonight where in previous matches we have done that.

“We need to get that level of consistency going and get on a run now. We have to push on and collectively stick together,” added the manager.