Bartosz Bialkowski has admitted Town’s midweek EFL Cup defeat to Stevenage made for “painful” viewing from his seat on the bench.

There are plenty of supporters who would agree after manager Mick McCarthy rested the giant Pole to give second-choice goalkeeper Dean Gerken a game and the League Two outfit won 1-0 to create one of several shock results in the first round of the competition.

Bialkowski said: “It was a disappointing evening for us and painful to watch at times. But that’s football and Stevenage came to our place with a desire to win the game.

“You always expect teams from the lower leagues to come here and fight for their lives and they showed that. Obviously, we are disappointed but that’s gone now and we must concentrate on the league.”

Referring to the dressing-room atmosphere afterwards, the 29-year-old added: “It’s never good when you have lost a game. The manager was unhappy about the performance and so were we.

“But we can’t win every week and we just have to make sure we don’t concede sloppy goals in the future and be better than that.”

Asked if players were allowed to have their say or whether it was simply a case of listening to the manager’s summing-up, he said: “We just listen to the gaffer. He is an experienced manager and he knows how to get the best out of us.

“We trust him and I am sure we will be OK for the Brentford game on Saturday.

“The fans want us to win every game and I get that, but it’s not possible. I know the fans were frustrated because they want to see us winning, especially at home, but results like the one against Stevenage happen.”

Bialkowski preferred to discuss the save from Barnsley striker Tom Bradshaw just before half-time last weekend that denied the Tykes an interval lead, Town upping the tempo soon after the interval as substitute Grant Ward netted a hat-trick en route to a 4-2 opening-day win.

A modest Bialkowski recalled: “It was just a reaction save. I didn’t have any time to think about it because it was at such close range. I just stuck out my hand on the right side and managed to parry it away. I was pleased, obviously, but we all play our part and that’s what I’m there for.

“When I saw the ball dropping at the striker’s feet I just tried to be ready and set myself. I wasn’t going to move until he struck the ball and that gave me extra time to react.

“When you move you are out of balance. You need to make a split-second decision. You watch the striker and the ball. It’s something I work on every day in training along with lots of other things.”

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Vital as it may have been, however, Bialkowski doesn’t think it was his best save since joining Town two years ago on a free transfer from Notts County.

Last season he pulled off a magnificent save in the game at Bristol City that had people comparing it to that of Gordon Banks from Pele in the 1970 World Cup, surely the ultimate compliment.

He smiled: “Yes, I think the save at Bristol was better because the ball took a deflection as well. The one on Saturday was pure reaction at close range. It was still a good save but the Bristol City one was better.”

Photo: TWTD

Dissboyitfc added 07:10 - Aug 12 Yes watching Town can be and very often is painful. There should be no excuses about teams coming here with extra desire, where is our desire, we were at home. I dont think it mattered who or where we play under MM in the cup, we would have lost!
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