HEREFORD manager Russell Slade said that his young side showed their inexperience during a 2-1 home defeat against Alfreton Town.

Slade was forced to make six changes from the side that drew at Darlington 10 days earlier and said that the youngsters brought in wasted their opportunity.

Just five minutes into the tie the Bulls went behind with a wonder strike by Daniel East to stun Edgar Street.

However, Nottingham Forest loanee Victor Sodeinde pulled his side level on 12 minutes when his cross come shot was headed into the back of his own net by Alfeton skipper Ryan Qualter.

Similar to the first half the Bulls were slow at starting the second and the visitors regained the lead on 50 minutes with Amari Morgan-Smith rifling home after the hosts failed to clear a corner.

Despite Bradley Ash firing an effort onto the bar Hereford rarely threatened as they looked to chase the game.

“I’m hugely disappointed and we didn’t deserve to win the game in my opinion, said Slade.

“In terms of doing the basics with the first contact and the second balls. They managed the game better than us and were a little bit more experienced than us in the right places.

“You can take Josh (Gowling) and (Stephen) Dawson out of that. Dawson was our best play by a mile and was our talisman really in trying to take the game to them.

“To take the game to the opposition you’ve got to win the first contact, you’ve got to win the second ball and then you’ve got to establish control and pass to the right shirt and move forwards.

“We didn’t do that with any momentum or any fluency. When there was a couple of moments of it in the first half we looked like we might be able to get in between them or behind them.

“But it was moments, they were sparse and there wasn’t enough of that. It’s not that they created more chances than us, they started both halves better than us and they punished us twice and they managed the game better than us.

“I thought the side showed not enough experience and knowledge, they were more streetwise than us.

Hereford were left light on experienced players with Reece Styche and Rowan Liburd away on international duty while Jarrod Hodgkiss, Peter Vincenti were out injured along with Taylor Allen.

Brought in were Jack Bodenham, Ash, Jason Pope, Sodeinde, Mike Symons and Jordan Nicholson.

Slade said his side lacked that experience to make a difference against a stubborn Alfreton side and didn’t take their opportunity.

He added: “It’s a learning curve to the younger players who were out there tonight and they have to pick up on that quickly.

“We had so many fit, young and vibrant players given the opportunity to go and show us what they’ve got, but I don’t think they took their opportunity.

“When you put that shirt on you have to treat it like it’s your last game you’re ever going to play and after that it might be.

“We had energy and pace which is what we went with tonight against that side. But what we didn’t have enough of is that experience and that know how.

“Peter Vincenti not being fit and (Jared) Hodgkiss not being fit. A couple of players being on international duty doesn’t help as you need that knowledge on the pitch to help those youngsters as well.

“You can’t just rely on Josh (Gowling) and Steph Dawson, you need a few more members out there helping. When you analyse if players won their battle tonight maybe Dawson and Gowling won their battles, but after that you would be struggling.

“We’ve left that pitch and not done ourselves justice and I’m disappointed with some of the players tonight.

“It was not good because the 10 men at Darlington, I didn’t see them 10 men at Darlington tonight in a nut shell.

“We want to come back here and put on a performance for the fans and tonight we fell short of that. That disappoints me immensely.”

The Bulls missed a chance to move into the top seven places and remain in 12th ahead of Saturday’s trip to Altrincham.

“It’s a very tight league and tonight won’t be defining, but how many more opportunities during the season, at home, are we going to get to get in those play-offs,” added Slade.

“Tonight we have thrown an opportunity away and you can’t keep doing that.

“Every team in the league throws up its conundrums and they all have their strengths and weakness but by and large, probably York apart, everybody is capable of beating each other.”