FOR Witton Albion, only frustration.

A 2-0 defeat at home to South Shields on Saturday has ended their FA Cup campaign before it had chance to even get going.

Manager Carl Macauley, in contrast to how he felt following a reverse against Altrincham by the same score in a league fixture earlier in the week, felt this is one that got away.

“They weren’t better than us, but they were cleverer,” he reflected.

“And that showed in the game’s decisive moments.

“The two goals are a good example; for the first, their substitute is alive to the possibility the ball might come his way and he reacted quickly.

“For the second, the pass from [Alex] Nicholson is outstanding in terms of its weight and accuracy.

“Too often we didn’t make the right decision, or over-hit a pass or cross, when we got into similar positions.

“We got into great areas, but didn’t engage our brains once there.

“South Shields did that more convincingly than we did, and that’s why they’ve gone through and we haven’t.”

He pointed to the experience of a side that included seven players over the age of 30, and whose average age was five years older than that of his starting line-up.

Not only that, an injury suffered by Anthony Gardner after half an hour forced the hosts to reshuffle in a way they wouldn’t have wanted.

Macauley added: “That was a massive blow.

“We had to change things around, and it didn’t help at all.

“When they made changes, you realise the quality they have at their disposal.

“They knew their jobs, and carried them out.

“We were prepared, but didn’t execute our game-plan as well as they did theirs.

“Despite that, we had better chances in the first half.

“Our best one, when Prince [Haywood] forced their goalkeeper to make a great save, was another illustration of us not being as streetwise as them.

“We didn’t anticipate the ball might run loose. They did.”

He stopped short of being too critical though, pointing to the fact that Witton’s first defeats of the season had come against considerably better-resourced opposition.

A home game against Marine on Tuesday provides an early opportunity to bounce back.

Macauley added: “We know we have to improve, and to learn when we lose.

“We’ve come across good sides this week, but I don’t believe that undoes all of the good work we’ve done so far.”