Skipper Sam Morsy admitted that he and his team-mates let themselves down as they were beaten 2-1 at Accrington Stanley, whose “horrible” approach he compared to a non-league side.

Goals from Colby Bishop and Harry Pell saw Stanley come from behind at half-time to take the three points, Macauley Bonne having given the Blues the lead with his eighth goal of the season.

“You come to these places, it’s always going to be hard, but I think we let ourselves down today,” Morsy said.

What was the result down to? “They’re a horrible team, they play like a non-league team, and that’s no disrespect to them, that’s just the style and it works for them and we just couldn’t quite get to grips it in the second half.

“I thought the first half was OK, they’re horrible at what they do, they didn’t really create much, as we didn’t. Two goals, we could have done a lot better but it just wasn’t our day today.”

He added: “This is them, this how they play. But I think we’re delusional if we think we’re going to play like we did against Doncaster every week and hit teams for six. It’s a reality check, we’re going to have to work really hard this week and go again.”

Town travelled up to the North-West on Thursday and trained at Manchester United’s old Cliff training ground and the Egyptian international says everything was put in place before the game.

“Preparation was brilliant,” he said. “Everyone’s been on it, everyone knew their jobs, we couldn’t have been more prepared, everyone knew what was coming, but when you step over the white line, you have to do it.”

Were there a few home truths from manager Paul Cook afterwards? A few harsh words? “Listen, we’ve let ourselves down today, we’ve let the fans down today, they travelled in really good numbers, but we have to put it right next Saturday [when Shrewsbury visit Portman Road].”

The 846 fans on the open terrace didn’t have the easiest of afternoon with rain falling heavily both before and during the game.

“They’ve travelled in numbers and that’s brilliant and we’re going to need them this season,” the 29-year-old continued.

“They were unbelievable the other night and we’re looking forward to a full house on Saturday.”

Town had appeared to have built up something of a head of steam following the 6-0 defeat of Doncaster on Tuesday, their third game unbeaten.

“Each game’s individual, it doesn’t matter whether you have momentum, as you’ve seen today, as you’ve seen before,” the former Middlesbrough, Wigan and Chesterfield man reflected.

“The Doncaster game doesn’t matter, it’s back to basics, work really hard and be ready Saturday.”

Morsy admitted it was a painful defeat to take: “Yes, because the way they play is disgusting. I think one of the players just kicked the ball out of the stadium [in order to waste time], I’ve never seen that before in my career. But we lick our wounds and we go again.”

However, the Wolverhampton-born schemer says that despite the defeat there’s no need for panic.

“Not at all, we had a little spell, and this is a reality check and we go again,” he insisted. “We have to be better, we have to work harder, we have to be better at what we do and we go again.

“We know we let ourselves down, there are no excuses, there’s no pointing fingers, individually and collectively it wasn’t good enough today and we know that.

“We work hard, we assess the game and we go again. It’s a work in progress, we’re not going to win every game, but we go again Saturday.”

Town are still to win back-to-back games this season - or since boss Cook took charge in March - but Morsy says the players are just taking things a game at the time.

“It’s just about winning Saturday really, we’re not thinking about back-to-back wins,” he said.

“It’s going to be a slow process to get up the league, we know that because of the way we started, but it starts with Saturday.”

There has been much talk of the squad which was assembled over the summer needing time to gel, but after 10 games shouldn’t that talk be over? Shouldn’t the Blues, who are 19th, 12 points away from their target of the top two, be doing better than they are? “We know that.”

The Blues are next in action at Gillingham in the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday evening when manager Cook is set to make wholesale changes.

Photos: TWTD/Pagepix

surgery added 17:07 - Oct 3 And get that hoodie off. You look like a lowlife car thief
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johnwarksshorts added 17:18 - Oct 3 With a squad like ours you should have the tactical knowledge to be able to counter this style of play which teams like Accrington use. They're a small club and will adopt any style of play to stay in this league. It's not good enough from town, you have to be prepared to do the nasty stuff aswell. There are plenty of games left but we need to work alit harder.
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Monkey_Blue added 17:31 - Oct 3 I keep getting told how much class we have in the squad. Class isn't just football ability. His comments show a complete lack of class. I don't want him to be happy about losing but this isn't how you deal with being beaten. He's come across as a spoilt brat who thinks clubs should play in a way that makes his job easy. Attitude reflects leadership so this isn't good for a captain to be reacting this way, but seeing as Cook doesn't like any criticism maybe it comes from the top? Cooks yet to grasp when you take a job at a relatively big club given the division and are given a huge budget relative, that comes with pressure and expectation.

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slade1 added 17:34 - Oct 3 That is an insult to non league players
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FrankMarshall added 18:28 - Oct 3 They were better than us full stop. Blaming the opposition for their tactics is beyond ridiculous.
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Bert added 19:24 - Oct 3 I don't want the captain of my team to show disrespect to a team who survive on a pittance compared to the relevant riches we have. Yes, Accrington deployed time wasting but they were better than us. Showing contempt in the manner he has is why the smaller teams in this league want to beat us. We used to be everyone's favourite other team but now we seem to rock up in places and assume we have the right to win. We will only win if we are the better team so cut out the snobbery and snide remarks.

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dirtydingusmagee added 19:41 - Oct 3 yes cat we were indeed on our knees, but we were also in with half a chance of promotion when Cook came in and chucked everything out of the window, we are now hovering just above the relegation zone and Cook is looking more lost every week, a six nil thrashing of a dead duck Donny hasnt even got the players up for it,What should we put it down too a new crop of poor players ,or a poor manager who without his old side kick is now being found out ? i know where im putting my money.

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cat added 20:05 - Oct 3 Dirty - with respect! We had no chance last season with them players, they could hardly muster a shot on target, let alone defend, or give one for that matter. I've no doubt we have the quality players to do the business but it takes time as the board have said. Teams can go on a run after Christmas and hit the playoffs, it's early October so no need to panic!
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ThaiBlue added 20:17 - Oct 3 Below the belt comments morsey to come out and publicise it as we bloody lost,how bad does that make us.think we have plenty to talk about but not enough action where it matters,bunch of premadonnas in my book.
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DaGremloid added 20:31 - Oct 3 cat - have you forgotten we were ON a run and just outside the play-off places before Cook took over and ruined everything?
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runningout added 20:48 - Oct 3 Our reality check started years ago. It was said by our manager weeks ago that we are a soft touch. Words seem to be only what they are. “Words”
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KiwiBlue2 added 20:49 - Oct 3 Well if they are 'non-league standard' what did that make us......? To get up the table we need to be winning away games against teams like this. While you should generally be focusing on your own strengths you do need to have a Plan B to deal with sides adopting a more industrial approach. That may include a different formation. While we now have more skill in the side than last season I feel that rigidly sticking to the same formation, regardless of who the opposition are, leaves us vulnerable on occasions to teams and results like this one.....coyb

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cat added 21:08 - Oct 3 DeGremloid - no I hadn't nor had I forgotten that the players completely downed tools, why, cause they were aware the takeover was looming and their time was up. Putting yesterday shocker aside, you can't say the players ain't playing for Cook so far. I do get your situation though, I had it with Dino McCarthy. As for him ruining the club, I'd say there are some positives like entertaining football and his pulling power with some of the additions. Also he's honest, passionate and brings energy to the club, something that's been seriously lacking.

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bobble added 22:37 - Oct 3 well has appears to be a rude arrogant bloke who also lives in fairyland
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shakytown added 23:12 - Oct 3 We have too many players who think they are better than this league and until they look at themselves really hard we will get beaten by teams who are far more desperate to win than we are. Time for Cook to step up and kick some some of them in the pants and make them earn their wages EVERY game not just sometimes.
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Eddie1985 added 23:13 - Oct 3 God cat is deluded, its up to the manager to motivate the players he showed no interest in them, he even critsised them in the media, a good manager would work with what they had and be pragmatic even if in the back of there mind he planned to get rid of them. A good manager develops the players he has but that ship has sailed. He has been given the virtually unprecedented opportunity to repla e an entire squad to his taste with many players from a level above.... And what do we have.... A relegation battle.... The Americans want to develop us and sell on for profit, as much as they are using us we also need to use them while they are here and Paul Cook is waisting our chance. His record is appaling with whichever squad he chose and as for morsey who was ment to be the symbol of hope.... What arrogant comments after a game!!! If they play non league then did you not notice they beat you!!! In which case maybe Ipswich wanderers would be a better fit for him

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cat added 06:59 - Oct 4 Relegation battle in early October Eddie lol, now who being deluded!
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Eddie1985 added 08:34 - Oct 4 Cat, dear that's our current position and form based on cooks entire reign with 2 sets of players. The fact is that we should be in promotion form given the funding and quality of players we have, anything else is failure, Cook is failing that's a fact. In addition although we are no officially in a relegation battle in early October are you suggesting that the very idea of that is impossible to comprehend? For example are Doncaster not in a relagation battle, or Norwich?

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mathiemagic added 10:08 - Oct 4 The same 11 would be told to get their backside on the pitch Tuesday night against Gillingham and earn their right to be picked next Saturday, not (as I suspect will happen) be given the night off. Appalling performance from so called professional footballers, who let themselves and the hard travelling down very badly indeed.
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bobble added 10:25 - Oct 4 4th division next year then....
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trncbluearmy added 10:37 - Oct 4 and you let yourself down again in that interview
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Jugsy added 10:39 - Oct 4 I don't think anything can be said that many of you would be happy with. The reality is teams and managers need time, and if Cook doesn't get given at least a season to move the club forward then we will continue to tread water. There's a number of contributors on here who thrive on knocking every interview, every word that comes out of the club - look, no-one's happy we lost, no-one's happy with the league position. I'd rather hear Cook come out and say it was crap, Morsy come out and tell us how he really feels about the game than some canned media response. Yes, I want a reaction and some consistency, but hey, the other team wants to win too so guess what? It ain't going to be that easy. So many entitled 'fans' who just love sticking the boot in come 5pm after a defeat... it's dull.

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Yorkshire_Townie added 11:37 - Oct 4 To an extent Jugsy I agree, and that some time can be needed for a side to settle. However that is what pre-season is for. We are well into the season now & I agree with others, facing a relegation battle rather than looking up the table. IF Cook had us steady in midtable, going nowhere but developing, then yes- he gets the season, and into next to show what they can do together. BUT then the same could have been said of Wurst- should we have left him in charge for all of that season? Suppose the end result would have been the same -maybe -but confidence would have been even more shot & playing in front of 5000 by easter. Action was taken to try to rectify the situation of a relegation threat. Arguably Lambert wasnt ever given a full season to go at (due to covid, etc)- maybe he should have been left in charge to try & get 'his' side promoted last season?

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dirtydingusmagee added 11:52 - Oct 4 i think when Lambert went Evans should have settled for a caretaker manager to see the season out , Then when the takeover was completed the new owners could have taken a bit of time appointing a manager, but thats just my opinion ,it all seemed a bit a#se about face to me .
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Yorkshire_Townie added 11:54 - Oct 4 Overall the results have been v v poor- Cook must be ranking pretty low (if not bottom) of the Town managers 'league table'- I dont buy the" forget last season's results" excuse. He had a chance to try n get us promoted last season. Play off defeat? Would have been accepted & is a good starting point. Easier to sell the club to new players with us 'on the up' instead the players DID down tools - due to Paul Cook. IF they somehow got up- then you can shop in a very different market and are in a great position to move forward. As it is we face being lucky to be in THIS div in 2022-23! Or going to Barrow, sutton utd, Harrogate, Newport in the 4th div next season! (NO disrespect to those clubs listed, either)- Morsey should not have used those terms to refer to an opponent who has beaten you fair n square,

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