Jewell: City had one eye on the Cup

Last updated : 20 March 2006 By Paul Farrington
Paul Jewell

"I think City had one eye on the F.A. Cup. Even though they made seven changes they still had Distin, Thatcher, Mills, Reyna, Sibierski, and they are all quality players so I don't think you should take anything away form our win victory. We restricted their attempts on goal.

"I thought we were the best side throughout. I was a bit worried because we wasted a lot of possession in the final third in the first and second half. We had some great situations but we were just a little bit sloppy in our final pass, our shot or our cross.

"He [McCulloch] finished it well, and it was a good job because he missed a sitter just before half-time. I thought it was a more difficult opportunity when he did score. In the first half, I thought it was in, or at least it should have been.

"I had a quiet word with him at half-time, and in the second half he has produced a great header. In the last two games we haven't played to our potential but we have got six points, and another clean sheet."

Stuart Pearce

"We were very average, right throughout the team. I don't think too many of us covered ourselves in glory. It was a poor performance and a little bit out of character with our recent home form.

"We will learn from it, maybe one or two of the youngsters will now know how difficult it is in the Premiership and that things do not come easily. We have copped a couple of injuries as well, which has not helped the situation.

"It's down to me now to come in tomorrow, pick them up and drive them forward to the next game, which a very important game for us. Whatever team you field, if you have the badge on the sky blue shirt, a defeat will hurt you. I don't take any cold comfort coming away from here and thinking, 'one or two youngsters got a game today'.

"I will look at the performance and the result and class both as unacceptable, for me and the players. We did not have enough playing as seven or eight out of ten today, and if that is the case, you end up getting beaten."