'Hurt' Brady takes the blame after saying Sutton 'wanted it more' than Cobblers

Cobblers boss Jon Brady accepted the blame for his side's 'uncharacteristic' performance during their disappointing defeat to Sutton United at the weekend.

After a steady opening nine games to the season, Town lost their way completely against the League Two newcomers and deservedly succumbed to a one-sided defeat.

Joe Kizzi and Donovan Wilson were on target and it would have been more for Sutton if not for home stopper Liam Roberts, who pulled off a string of fine saves.

Cobblers were without key man Jon Guthrie due to COVID but Brady made no excuses for the performance and came away 'hurting quite badly' after feeling that Sutton 'wanted it more'.

He said: "One thing I can't accept is another team, I felt, being stronger in winning the first ball and the second ball and they were cuter at times as well in the way they used their bodies.

"I felt they wanted it more and they were more aggressive and that's something which no team has done to us this season and it hurts me and I hope it hurts the players as well.

"It's anticipation. The way they play and how they did it was excellent for them but when you're in the moment, you need to read where that ball is going to drop and have that attitude of 'I'm getting there first, no matter what' - It's about having that attitude and desire and they showed that throughout their whole XI today.

"There weren't too many of our players which were better than the opposition and through the first 10 games of the season, you wouldn't say that about any other opposition where we've been out-fought in any position.

"But for them to do that to us today hurts me quite badly."

But whilst 'hugely disappointed' by the performance, Brady is not the type of manager to rant and rave in the dressing room afterwards.

"You've got to be constructive in what you say," he added. "Whatever we say between us is private but they are the type of group that won't accept those standards from themselves again, first and foremost.

"We're all in this together. I've got to look at how I set the team out and what I did and in our group, but it's all of us. It's not them and us, it's all of us - players and coaches together.

"If you want to lay blame, I take the blame for that performance."