Opposition view: Colchester boss Mullins frustrated by 'gamesmanship' from Cobblers

'The goal gave them something to hang onto and there was a lot of gamesmanship from there with them slowing the game down.'
Hayden Mullins. Picture: Pete Norton.Hayden Mullins. Picture: Pete Norton.
Hayden Mullins. Picture: Pete Norton.

Colchester United manager Hayden Mullins admitted his side 'did not help ourselves' after they were thwarted by Northampton's 'gamesmanship' during Saturday's 1-0 home defeat.

Town went ahead through Jon Guthrie's first goal for the club in the first-half, but they came under serious pressure late on, especially once Fraser Horsfall saw red.

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Colchester could not force an equaliser though, meaning Cobblers picked up back-to-back wins to start the new League Two season.

“Football is a cruel game sometimes but we didn’t help ourselves in the first-half," said Mullins. “We were too flat and we allowed them to control the tempo of the game.

“They slowed it down every opportunity they had, with every throw and every free-kick, every goal-kick – it was just so slow and there was no flow to the game in the first-half.

“They got their goal which was poor from us and they held onto it. The defenders have got to defend it out until the ball is cleared and it was a really soft goal that we conceded.

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“That gave them something to hang onto and there was a lot of gamesmanship from there with them slowing the game down.

“Then we’re always trying to force the issue and we didn’t really get the tempo going in the first-half and we got sucked into their game plan.

“We spoke to the boys at half-time and we said that the tempo has got to be lifted and we need to be more on the front foot.

“We were good in the second-half, very good and we created a number of chances. It was a big plus that we kept going but the major disappointment is that we’ve lost our first home game.

“They’re not a bad side and they’ve just been relegated. We knew that they were going to come here and stifle the game and that’s the big disappointment for me."