HEREFORD manager Russell Slade is looking for an immediate response from his side at Bradford (Park Avenue) on Saturday following their FA Cup exit.

The Bulls suffered a 3-1 defeat on penalties to Tamworth after Tuesday night’s replay finished 0-0 after extra-time.

Slade said that his side were ‘hurting’ and urged for an immediate response in their National League North tie at struggling Bradford.

“We have to recover, do things right and we have to respond in the best possible way,” said Slade.

“The game kicks you in the teeth sometimes and it hurts. I hope every single one of them in that changing room hurts tonight.

“I hurt, it’s upset me losing that game tonight, but we’ve got a big game on Saturday and have an opportunity to strike back quickly.

“I can’t have anybody feeling sorry for themselves going into Saturday’s game as it’s absolutely huge. I will learn more about this group than I’ve learnt in the last five or six games on Saturday.

“We need to ensure on that long journey that we go up there and come back with all the spoils.”

Buoyed by Saturday’s goalless draw in the first game the Lambs almost had an opener after six minutes at Edgar Street when Dan Creaney forced Brandon Hall into a close range save.

Visiting goalkeeper Jasbir Singh pulled off three flying first half saves to deny Tommy O’Sullivan, Peter Vincenti and Jordan Nicholson.

Despite not creating many chances the Lambs remained a threat with Tyrell Waite catching the hosts napping but blazed his effort over.

The Bulls had chances to seal their passed into the fourth qualifying round in the second half with Jacob Jagger Cane seeing his effort cleared off the line and Nicholson firing over.

As the game reached extra-time Tamworth started to believe in the cup upset and Creaney headed an effort over before substitute Rhys Hoenes had his effort saved.

With penalties taken at the Meadow End debutant Ben Pollock saw his effort saved before Tom Owen-Evans and Mike Symons blazed their efforts over.

Bradley Ash did net his penalty and despite Brandon Hall saving one the visitors went through 3-1 on penalties.

“I’m absolutely gutted,” added Slade.

“My success rate in penalty shootouts is not fantastic, I think I’ve won one in the Checkatrade Trophy to get to the final with Coventry but I’ve lost a play-off final on penalties and it’s not nice.

“That wasn’t nice either tonight, I didn’t enjoy that but we haven’t quite done enough over the two games to nudge through into the next round really.

“I thought we took the ball well at times tonight and had good possession of the ball, created a few openings and working the goalkeeper better than what we did on Saturday.

“We made a couple of mistakes which allowed them in with the one ball which was a problem from time to time, but we’ve kept a clean sheet and it’s in that final third where at times it didn’t quite drop kindly for us.

“Sometimes you’ve got to make it drop kindly for you, make it work for you and be pro-active in that box. We weren’t quite good enough tonight to go through.

“I thought we had enough about us to go through and win the game for sure, but it wasn’t to be. It’s been a tight affair all the way through.

When asked how much the Bulls had practiced penalties, Slade added: “I think if you’re full-time you can get out on that training ground between Saturday’s game and be practicing them.

 “We’re not and so it’s up to players who have taken penalties in the past and have got that experience, some of ours have and some of them have got quite good records, but didn’t quite show it tonight.

“It’s a lesson learnt, a hard lesson and games are hard sometimes.”

Bulls manager Slade was booked for complaining to referee Dale Wootton after a host of his players had been cautioned.

Slade added: “For me it’s the whole consistence of it, when it’s a re-start where is he taking the free-kick from? Where is he taking the throw-in from? Is it consistent every single time.

“Are the free-kicks worthy of a free-kick? Is it a yellow card or just play on? The whole consistency of the game is sometimes frustrating I find as a manager.

“I know he’s probably doing his best out there. I don’t know that might be from his point of view a very sound performance.

“Obviously I couldn’t agree with that at stages of the game.

Both Josh Gowling and Jordan Cullinane-Liburd were booked early in the tie while Wootton left other fouls go unpunished, Slade added: “When referees do that early in the game they set themselves up.

“Then I want a reaction when it happens the other way on one of their players and that’s where lies the consistency or inconsistency in everything that goes on in the game. It has to be right.

“We just want it to be as fair as it possibly can. We want to see him taking control and on a different another day maybe he’d have done better.”