SCOTT Adey-Linforth admits Bromsgrove Sporting’s late 1-0 defeat against Leiston felt like ‘a kick in the balls’.
Sporting saw their seven-game unbeaten run come to an end as Kyran Clements scored a last-minute winner for the visitors at the Victoria Ground.
The result leaves the Rouslers 17th in the Southern League Premier Central table, two points clear of the relegation zone.
And Adey-Linforth felt his side needed to show more killer instinct in the final third after squandering a number of chances to take the points.
Adey-Linforth said: “When you miss that many chances it’s gong to sting and come back to bite you, they kept plugging away and went and got the winner.
“We’ve missed big chances which change games and it’s frustrating but we’ve performed well, we’re just missing that killer instinct in the final third.
“It’s a sickener, it’s a kick in the balls, it hurts to lose the unbeaten run in that way, we’ve got to defend the set-piece better.
“I speak all the time about staying focused and staying alert, unfortunately we’ve switched off at the death and they went and nicked it.
“Before Christmas, we were being looked at as straight up candidates for relegation. We’ve put a hell of a run together to lift us up the table.
“We’ve still got to get away from the teams at the bottom, we’re still in a fight but we’ve put ourselves in the mix and given ourselves a good chance of staying up.”
Sporting created the game’s first chance as Leiston goalkeeper William Johnson spilled Jamie Meddows’ initial effort before keeping out Billy Shaw’s follow-up.
The Rouslers came within inches of taking the lead later in the half as Theo Robinson turned Aksum White’s cross over the crossbar from close range.
And the home side tested Johnson again before the break as Reece King headed the ball straight into the gloves of the Leiston stopper.
Sporting remained on top after the break as Robinson played the ball into the path of Meddows only for the latter to shoot inches wide of the post from just inside the penalty area.
And the Rouslers coughed up another chance when Luke Rowe played in Jack Newell in the box only for the latter to try and square the ball to Jack Newall rather than going for goal himself eight-yards from goal.
The home side spurned another golden chance late on as Robinson shot wide of the post from Newall’s flick-on in the box.
And Leiston made Sporting pay for those missed chances as Clements headed in a corner from the left in the final minute to leave the Rouslers stunned.
Sporting had one last chance to draw level only for Newall to head straight at Johnson from six-yards out.
Bromsgrove are next in action against Kettering Town on Saturday, January 25 with kick-off at 3pm at Latimer Park.
