Whitehaven ‘s 1-1 draw at Slyne with Hest in the West Lancashire League was “so much of what could have been.”
The Cumbrians recovered well from a slow start and going a goal down to level and then having opportunities to win the game.
Head coach Carl Short said: “I feel we should have got a lot more out of the game and possibly won it because we did enough to earn the three points.”
Following an excellent point at a good Rossendale side on Saturday Haven had wanted to push on against Slyne with Hest with lots of positives.
But they started really slowly after their trip and it was a game in which both teams looked to cancel each other out.
That changed on 17 minutes when a break by the home side resulted in a mistimed tackle which earned them a free kick in a dangerous position. It proved to be just that as Jakub Kowalik scored with a well-placed shot into the bottom corner.
The game then turned as Slyne got deeper and deeper into a low defensive block. Whitehaven went close on a couple of occasions but couldn’t breakdown some robust defending.
Whitehaven started the second-half very quickly and in stretching the play began to create opportunities. That eventually paid off on 70 minutes when Carl Denver broke into the area and finished clinically past the home keeper.
The West Cumbrians pushed hard for the second goal but although chances fell to Matt reid and John Aitken they couldn’t be taken.
Coach Short added: “We’ve begun to really grow into our new system and the way in which we want to play. I’m really looking forward to seeing the analysis as it’s likely we are up in the high 70 per cent.
“We are starting to dominate games more and it’s been refreshing to see the lads move into a more possession-based style of play. That being said we have to be more ruthless in front of goal and the entries into the box have to be more impactful.”
Whitehaven are at home to Turton Rangers on Saturday with the visitors sitting next to bottom without a point from three games.
