MARK Tallentire has condemned his Burnham team for being afraid and tentative after a 5-0 friendly defeat to Portsmouth on Monday evening.
The match was agreed as a part of Ryan Bird’s transfer from The Blues to Pompey back in 2013, and twice re-arranged due to cup replays and squad injuries.
In front of a 300-strong crowd at The Gore, Burnham were a little unfortunate to trail League Two Portsmouth as the contest approached its closing stages.
Adam McGurk and Jayden Stockley scored either side of half-time, but the hosts could have pulled one back when a Kane Jones header was ruled out for offside.
Pompey put the game to bed in the final 10 minutes with Brandon Joseph-Buadi netting a brace and a 30-yard wonder-strike from Adam May.
Tallentire told the Observer: “This has been a game we’ve all been looking forward to for a long time and I was disappointed with our performance in the first-half.
“I went into the changing rooms at half-time to gee a few of the boys up because I think we’re a miles better team than what we showed.
“I thought for 25 minutes of the second-half we were the better team, but in the last 10 minutes the game sort of run away from us.
“To be honest with you, I wasn’t too interested in the scoreline, but I was more pleased with what I saw in the second-half.
“In the first-half we just looked afraid and nervous. I thought we were tentative and didn’t want the ball. We weren’t brave enough on the ball and when players were in possession there were too many backsides showing.
“No-one was really coming forward and wanted the ball, and I just felt we weren’t brave enough in possession, but in the second-half that all changed.
“James Suarez came on and really got us ticking. He got on the ball and once people could see we were allowed to play, Portsmouth gave us a little bit of time.
“I said to the lads at half-time they’re not going to run in and kick lumps out of you so get on the ball and pass it around, and we did.
“On another day we could’ve scored and Kane Jones created another two or three opportunities, so it wasn’t as one-sided as the scoreline would suggest.
“If we put in a shift like that at Mangotsfield United we’re going to do alright.”