Spartans striker Craig Farrell was deployed in an unfamiliar role in the 0-1 FA Cup defeat to Workington tonight following injuries to Tom Berj and Lee Mason and felt that an already difficult task to get past the Blue Square North side became even harder for a number of reasons. A number of injuries led to numerous players playing out of position and the former Carlisle United hitman feels there is no denying that had an impact on his side’s chances of progression. He said “We put up a bit of a fight but you can’t deny Workington deserved the win because they were the better side over ninety minutes. We are suffering at the moment with a number on injuries, players playing out of position and we have a young squad as it is.”
He continued “Look at tonight we had a centre midfielder at left back, a left back at centre half and a striker in centre midfield. We are struggling and it’s been a long day but unfortunately despite giving it a real go second half it just wasn’t enough in the end”
Farrell thought he had taken the tie into extra time in the very last minute of the ninety when a loose ball fell to him on the edge of the Workington area. His curling right foot effort seemed destined for the bottom corner only for a last ditch intervention from Reds defender Dan Wordsworth to deny Spartans a second late goal in successive games against the Borough Park side. Farrell commented “As soon as I hit I thought it was in, as it came to me I was thinking goal. I picked my spot and it looked to be heading into the bottom corner but somehow the lad has got across and made the block. I don’t think I could have done anything more so fair play to him”.
After a hectic schedule of eight games in the last month the Spartans squad can look forward to a week of recuperation as they prepare to travel back to Cumbria to face Kendal Town next Tuesday night and striker Farrell feels the break will do them the world of good. “We need the break and we have lost a few lads to injury. It’s hard to get the healing process at this level because of the amount of games and the fact the lads are working during the day. The break will do us good and with a lot of games in a short space of time, with the small squad we have we can move on with hopefully a few bodies back in the squad.”