Willand boss Steele “disappointed” despite 2-1 victory over Ilfracombe in FA Cup

Willand boss David Steele said he was disappointed with his team’s performance despite victory in the FA Cup Preliminary round.

Willand booked themselves a place in the next round of the FA Cup following a 2-1 victory over Ilfracombe Town at Silver Street.

However, the home side were far from their best in a performance that saw the away side dominate much of the first half.

Speaking about the result, Steele said he was disappointed with his squad’s performance despite victory, saying:

“Yeah, I don’t think it was a fantastic performance. I think the result’s fantastic, don’t get me wrong. You just need to get through to the next round in the FA Cup.

“But I’m a tad disappointed with the way we got over the line, if I’m honest, but I think the start was great, in the first 15 minutes we’re 2-0 up.

“Then, all of a sudden, we started taking too many touches in midfield. We gave the ball away a couple of times too easy, which led to great goal from them to be fair. It’s not a mistake that’s caused the goal.

“So, yeah, fantastic result. Not a fantastic performance.”

The game got underway with a quick tempo as Willand Rovers almost immediately found the net to take an early lead. With a corner on six minutes, Adam Poole was able to snatch the first goal of the match.

Soon enough, their lead was doubled after a penalty. Will Richards took the spot kick, calmly placing the ball in the bottom right corner before celebrating as the home side looked on course to cruise to victory.

Following this, though, Ilfracombe assumed control of the match, narrowly missing several opportunities but finally making one shot work. Liam Short edged the ball past Burton which left the score at 2-1 at the interval

Despite a goalless second period, the best chance of the 45 minutes came in the form of a penalty for Ilfracombe. However, they would be denied by keeper George Burton, who was hailed by Steele for his performance in the match.

Steele continued:

“He’s started very well this year, he’s a great goalkeeper. He could be a bit louder but that could be said for a lot of our team.

“George has done very well and what more could you say. We’re 2-1 up, he saved a penalty to get through to the next round. He’s an important part of our team.”

Willand now look ahead to Monday, where the draw for the next round of the FA Cup will take place.

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