Northampton manager Ian Sampson expressed his disappointment at the way his side went down without a fight in the 3-0 defeat at Torquay. Goals from Kevin Nicholson, Chris Zebroski and Elliot Benyon earned the Gulls a 3-0 win, and in the process extended their unbeaten run to nine league games.
Sampson said: "It goes without saying that you don't want to lose your first game. To lose it by three goals to nil is disappointing. We are disappointed because we have been very optimistic with the pre-season performances but they count for nothing.
"The first half was frantic and our quality was poor, whether it was from a throw-in, a pass or a shot. It wasn't what it should have been, but we were in the game for a long period. It was an even game. "Torquay got a lucky break and got the goal and the most disappointing thing for me was the way we reacted to the goals. We`ve got quite a few experienced heads in there and I don't think they did their jobs
. I`ve said my piece in the changing room and we need to learn quickly and toughen up if you like. "We matched their physical aspect in the first half but I think we crumbled a little bit in the second. Hopefully it won't happen again."
Source: PA
Source: PA