LEE WALLACE believes that Phoenix Old Boys blew the chance to secure three points in Division One after a 4-2 defeat against Maidenhead Crown on Sunday.

Phoenix were promoted into the top flight following a league reconstruction in the summer and, though his team lack experience, Wallace is confident they can compete with the best.

However, that was not the case at Farnham Park, leaving Wallace to admit his side were not up for the game.

The Phoenix manager told the Observer: “Maidenhead didn’t look like they could get a side out when we were all kitted up and ready to play.

“They reckoned they had eventually got nine players but didn’t come out the changing rooms until about 10.45am. We lost interest because we thought the game would not go ahead. We didn’t play our football or to our best.

“The situation doesn’t mean you can play the way we did for 90 minutes, maybe the first 15-20 minutes, but we didn’t raise our game.

“I came off gobsmacked and wanted to get angry but it’s only Sunday morning football at the end of the day.

“The game was a lesson. Maidenhead wanted it more and we were clearly not up for it. The only excuse I can offer is that we didn’t raise our game.

“We thought we could just turn up and win but you can’t do that now we have been stuck in Division One. We got caught with our pants pulled down and could not come back."

Commenting on any aims and ambitions this season, Wallace said: "We knew it would be tough this year but we played well in pre-season, and in the first three games we reacted to stepping up a division.

"We're playing against top sides now so knew it would be tough. Sunday was a match where we targeted three points but we blew it.

"The target is to keep on playing how we have. We have adjusted to play a little football now so we have to keep it all together.

"We're hoping for a little run in the cups because we didn't want to go into this league

"We have some young players and the team is not ready so we know we're not going to win anything.

"We will try to stay together and keep the boys up for it."

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