Steven Schumacher admitted Wanderers need to sharpen up in both boxes after seeing their long unbeaten home run come to a galling end.
A 1-0 defeat to Mansfield Town saw the Whites lose at the Toughsheet Community Stadium for the first time in 18 games.
Schumacher’s men were denied what looked like a clear-cut penalty when Max Conway was tripped in the box when a stoppage-time leveller looked on the cards. But the Wanderers’ head coach admitted the Whites’ own short-comings were responsible for a first home loss since April.
“I’m gutted. To lose the unbeaten home record is disappointing, but to lose it in that manner is the worst thing about it,” said a candid Schumacher. “You can put it down to one of them nights where we've done so much and haven't scored, but what it boils down to is we're not good enough in both boxes currently.
“That's why we're not top of the league. All the data says that we should be, but we're not because we make too many mistakes. Again, from their first shot on target, I think, we concede a goal and from the big chances that we get we don't score, so we're not good enough in both boxes.
“They played well again and it's not easy – and I’m saying the same thing again – to try and break a low block down, so when you force a mistake and create a big, massive chance like we did, it's got to go in, literally got to go in.
“Their keeper made a couple of really good saves, Max goes through early in the second half and that goes in and it’s game-on again. We kept going and going, credit to the players to keep doing that, and showed our energy, but we put 51 crosses into the box today and we don't anticipate it enough. We don't attack the ball well enough, we don't get people in the right areas enough, so we don't score.”
Sam Dalby’s early miss meant Wanderers were unable to capitalise on a flying start and Mansfield then clung on grimly with hordes of yellow shirts behind the ball to secure a second successive away win after Rhys Oates had been allowed to head in the Stags’ first corner.
Nigel Clough’s men needed a slice of luck when referee Peter Wright seemingly didn’t see the challenge on Conway but Wanderers must now bounce back at Doncaster Rovers on New Year’s Day to try and narrow a seven-point gap behind the top two.
“I'm not one to make excuses, but I think it's definitely a penalty, the one on Max,” Schumacher added. “But I'm not moaning about that because it's our own fault, we haven't scored from the amount of chances that we have.
“I'm really disappointed. We've been brilliant at home but we can't keep making mistakes. If you think of the last three goals we've conceded at home, Exeter's a mistake, the penalty against Rotherham the other day is a mistake and today's a mistake, so you can't do that.
“We know what teams are doing, we know what their blueprint is, so you have to be squeaky clean and not give anything away because you shouldn't have to score two goals at home to win.”
Watch the full post-match interview on Wanderers TV