Michael Skubala cut a frustrated figure after his Lincoln City side were beaten late on by a determined Burton Albion.
He described an “all-round disappointing performance” after the Brewers netted in additional time to sink the Imps to another defeat against teams at the bottom end of the Sky Bet League One table.
Skubala said: “We weren’t good enough today, there is nothing we can hide behind. We weren’t good enough, they are fighting for their lives, we have to play with more intensity.
“It was the basics not done well. We didn’t move it with any zip, the game became slow and stodgy, and we have to drive the zip and the intensity in the game.”
Charlie Webster scored his second in as many games, netting in the 92nd minute after Lincoln failed to create many key chances throughout the afternoon.
“Sometimes when you have more time in a game of football you take more time, and we were taking too many touches, too much time on the ball. The space was there and we didn’t move it quick enough, we’ve got to move it quicker as a team,” he added.
Lamenting the disallowed Sam Clucas goal:
As well as frustration over Lincoln’s poor performance, the Imps boss was also left unhappy by one of Lincoln’s two disallowed goals.
Clucas had a goal chalked off on his home debut for the Imps, after Jovon Makama was adjudged to have fouled a Burton defender just before the January recruit could finish off his dancing run with a neat finish.
Skubala said: “If the referee gives the Sam Clucas foul for Jovon [Makama] in that, he’s got to give everything all over the pitch like that. It’s an absolute nothing foul, coming together, in a game that’s aerially contested all over the pitch.”
The Imps have now win just one of their last six outings, that coming against Mansfield Town on Tuesday night.
“We didn’t have our usually zip and aggressiveness without the ball, and winning things, getting up to things quick enough. It hurts you against a team who are scrapping for their lives.
“All round we are disappointed, we’ve got to look at it as players, we’ve got to look at it as staff. It’s not a great performance today.”
“Sometimes it’s not an individual error, it’s not individual things, today I think it’s us as a group,” Skubala added.
“We are not safe”:
The Lincoln head coach offered a warning during his post-match interview too, declaring that the club are not safe from relegation despite being 11 points above the drop, and Saturday’s victors Burton.
He said: “Let’s be honest, we are not safe yet, that’s the reality. What we don’t want to be in is a situation, we need to keep pushing, we need to keep putting points on the board.
“We want to keep moving and keep progression, and playing in a way we want to play. We have to keep working, we have to go into places and try and get results. We have to push the game, we have to push everything we do and get points on the board.”
Lincoln travel to face Barnsley next weekend, looking to get back on track.