Colney Heath can learn from Senior Cup semi-final defeat

Two Connor Toomey goals in the first half at Broadwater were enough to give the Comrades a 2-0 win and send the holders into another final.

It ended a run which had seen them dump National League South side Hemel Hempstead Town out in the last round and the Magpies boss believes that should be something lauded.

Colney Heath manager Matt Day is proud of his side's cup run. Picture: PETER SHORT (Image: Peter Short)

Day said: "We've been developing all season and there have been some good performances and some excellent ones. 

"There's also been some performances where we’ve had to learn from and this is one we’ll learn from. 

"We've come up against a team that are two steps higher than us so there's no shame in a 2-0 defeat. 

"We'll take the positives always. I'm a big believer in that. 

"I keep saying it, we’re a young squad and there is a naivety in some of our play, but there's also enthusiasm. 

"We don't want to curb their creativity."

As for the match itself, the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division had to rally in the second period after delivering a performance not in keeping with their ethos.

The boss said: "It's quite easy to say, and maybe a cliche, but that first half we just gave them a bit too much respect.  

"Maybe the lads didn't have the belief that we could go again after the Hemel result and that's what we said at half time. 

"We've done so well against some good teams this season but I didn't feel that we were inferior here. 

"I was disappointed with the two goals, they’re soft from my perspective, but we hit the bar and was unlucky with a header.  

"On another day we might get a goal and then that might change things.  

"I’m really proud of the boys in the second-half and what we were trying to do there.  

"There were some unbelievable performances in that back line. Jamie Wilding and Sam Denham were going man for man on occasions and just some of that defensive effort was outstanding. 

"We can hold our heads up. Maybe it was a step too far but over the course of the cup campaign, we're obviously delighted to get to the semi-final and really proud of the team." 

Colney will now turn their attention back to their league campaign which, with the numerous postponements for unplayable pitches, means they still have 12 games to go.

And Day wants the Magpies to build on this cup run.

"There's been some really good performances," he said. "The thing you can probably say about us this season is, apart from a blip against Bedford, we’ve been solid defensively. We don't concede many goals.  

"It's the other end of the pitch where we're still trying to find our way to try and relieve that pressure. 

"You can't always be a team that's just going to defend your goal.  

"I'd like to think that we didn't sit too defensively [against Berkhamsted]. I didn't want to be that guy that says to the team ‘just sit on the edge of the box and try and ping on the counter’. 

"We had to try and get our foothold in the game and the longer that second half went on, I felt like it was coming. 

"It just didn't happen for us."