AFC Fylde head coach is turning negatives into positives

Murray had harsh words for his players after last weekend’s 3-2 loss at Wealdstone: their second of the season.

It was also the third game from four in which they ended with 10 men after Pierce Bird was sent off with Fylde 2-1 in front.

Speaking to The Gazette yesterday, the Fylde head coach turned negatives into positives ahead of tomorrow’s match in front of the TV cameras.

He said: “I was very frustrated, very angry – put it that way – but I feel we took a lot of positives out of it.

“I was given more clarity in a few areas and with a few aspects of the team.

“We were in control but ended up killing ourselves with another red card so, at the minute, we’re our own worst enemy.

“In a strange way, that’s a good thing because at least it’s something we can control.”

Bird followed Harry Davis and Connor Barrett in seeing red, giving Wealdstone a numerical advantage and the impetus to score two late goals.

While admitting the sendings off weren’t ideal, Murray doesn’t generally see them as a fundamental lack of discipline.

“We felt like we had big parts of the (Wealdstone) game under our control,” he said.

“We’d done what we’d expected to do but then we got another red card.

“In my opinion, apart from Connor Barrett’s at Maidenhead – which was stupid – it’s not as if we’re making reckless tackles.

“We’re just getting caught out with sloppy defending but it’s still something to learn from.”