Gloucester City manager Daf Williams expressed his deep disappointment following his team’s 3-2 home defeat to Uxbridge on Saturday afternoon, despite starting strongly with a 2-0 lead.
The match kicked off positively for Gloucester City, with Kane Simpson capitalizing on high pressing to win the ball just seven minutes in, then skillfully rounding the Uxbridge goalkeeper to give the hosts an early advantage.
Gloucester doubled their lead in the 35th minute when Rylie Siddall cleverly nutmegged his defender before firing a shot that was initially saved but rebounded back to the loanee, who quickly converted.
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However, Uxbridge rallied swiftly. Jeremiah Okine-Peters headed in a cross before halftime, giving the visitors hope heading into the second half.
The remainder of the match saw Gloucester under relentless pressure. In the 70th minute, Uxbridge earned a penalty, dispatched confidently by Troy Perez-Duah to level the score.
Late on, it was Uxbridge who showed greater resolve. A cross met by forward Frank Keita sealed the comeback and silenced the KMM Energy Stadium crowd.
Reflecting on the collapse, Williams was blunt: “Disappointed is probably an understatement. I’m bitterly disappointed. While there were positives in the first half, conceding that poor goal to make it 2-1 changed everything.”
He continued: “We told the team at halftime to maintain their first-half performance, but they did the opposite. The five to ten minutes before our triple substitution were probably the worst I’ve seen, especially here. Even after the changes, we remained poor collectively. It’s a really disappointing day.”
With only eight games remaining in the season, Williams emphasized the need for resilience. “We have to bounce back on Tuesday. There were strong words in the dressing room that I won’t repeat, but we need to prepare as always—if not harder. We’ve got a big push ahead.”
Addressing supporters, he added, “Keep backing the lads. When I put my emotions aside, I still believe we’re in a strong position. But I can’t overlook today’s performance.”
Gloucester City lineup: Thompson, O’Regan, Wildig, Watts (Baidoo), Thomas, Hanks (Cross 67), Mitchell (Williams 67), Stretton, Mohammed, Simpson, Siddall (Spence 80).
Uxbridge lineup: Underwood, Brown, Martin, Fearn, Jones, Nnadozie (Moore 68), Lawal (Boorn 68), Perez-Duah (Keita 68), Okine-Peters (Bocarro 90), Lee (Prior-Tack 90), Rush.
Referee: Richard Walker
Attendance: 955