Connor wants mentality change from Blyth Spartans after dramatic draw with Prescot Cables

Michael Connor admitted he ‘lost the plot’ at half-time during Blyth Spartans’ dramatic home draw with Prescot Cables.

Connor’s men were punished for a lacklustre first-half display as the visitors looked to have laid the foundations for a win at Croft Park with an opener from lively winger Jack Goodwin and a penalty from midfielder James Foley. After some harsh words from their manager at half-time, Spartans showed some signs of improvement after the restart and looked to have been given a route back into the game when substitute Dean Briggs reduced the arrears with a neat finish from the edge of the area on the hour-mark.

Cables substitute Tom Owens came off the bench to restore his side’s two-goal advantage with just under quarter of an hour remaining and that forced Connor to look to his bench as Mitch Curry and Charlie Aitken were both introduced in what felt like a final roll of the dice. The Spartans boss was rewarded for his brave approach as the lively Cyril Giraud got his side back into the game with a powerful low drive in the last minute before Sam Hodgson pounced to fire home a dramatic equaliser in injury-time to snatch a point.

Although Connor was delighted with his side’s spirit during the final quarter of an hour as they roared back to claim a point, the Spartans boss has admitted there has to be a mentality change within his squad and urged his players to show more bravery throughout games.

He told The Gazette: “All I can do is apologise to the fans for that first 60 minutes. I could swear, I won’t swear, but I did swear at half-time and it’s the first time since I’ve come to the club that I have lost the plot a little bit. This team and this club means something to me and if you aren’t willing to show desire and determination and be willing to put your foot in when it’s needed, that’s no good to me and it’s not good to the fans.

“People are walking around at a goal down with their heads down and the mentality in the squad has to change.We scored two at the end and you’re thinking this is the Blyth Spartans we want, we want a Blyth Spartans team the fans want to see. Why can’t we do that for 90 minutes rather than 15 minutes here and there. We have to believe in the process, believe in what we are trying to do and if we do we will start to win games.”

Spartans have a free midweek as they now turn their attention towards next Saturday’s visit to Hebburn Town.

Blyth Spartans: Richardson, Constantin (Aitken), Myers, Halford, Milburn (Briggs), Fell, Giraud, Holvey, Hodgson, Gordon (Curry), Richardson Subs: Storey, Hogan

Prescot Cables: Hare, McNally, M Devine, J Devine, Hollett, Smith (Koehler), Goodwin, Foley, Murphy (Owens), Elliott (Sambor), Carberry (Gilroy) Subs: McMahon