Keith Millen Reflects on 4-0 Defeat to Sittingbourne: “We Know We’re Not at That Level Yet”
Croydon Athletic manager Keith Millen was left frustrated and disappointed after his side suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Sittingbourne, acknowledging that the result highlighted the gap between his team and the league’s top contenders.
The match saw Sittingbourne assert their dominance from the off, a pattern Millen recognised from their previous encounter earlier in the season, as well as from Sittingbourne’s performances against other sides.
“To be honest, it wasn’t a surprise,” Millen explained. “We knew what Sittingbourne were about. They came at us the same way they did when we played them at their ground, and they’ve been doing it to other teams as well this season. They’re very good at what they do. They get the ball forward quickly, and they create chances from throw-ins, corners, and crosses into the box.”
Despite knowing what to expect, Millen admitted that Croydon struggled to cope with the physical challenge posed by Sittingbourne’s style of play. “It’s not just about the players being good; we’ve got a height disadvantage, and we’re struggling to win the first ball. If you don’t win the second ball, you get punished, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Millen was particularly frustrated by the manner in which the goals were conceded, with a number of avoidable mistakes contributing to the defeat. “Some of the goals were poor from our perspective. We made mistakes that we can’t afford to make at this level. The third goal, to be fair, was a good finish, but the others were avoidable.”
Reflecting on the bigger picture, Millen stressed the need for Croydon to keep their aspirations in check, understanding that they are not yet competing at the same level as the top teams in the league. “It’s a reality check for us. We want to be competing at the top of this league, but we know we’re not there yet. We’ve got to accept that, and not let this one game define the rest of our season.”
In addition to the defeat, Millen confirmed that the team had been hit by a couple of injury setbacks. “We’ve lost Ahmed with a head injury – hopefully, he’s going to be okay, but it looks like he’ll be out for a couple of weeks. And then, obviously, Jerry got sent off, which makes things even more difficult for us. I was pleased with Jerry up until that point, but losing him means we’re down another player.”
The manager highlighted that the lack of consistency in the squad, due to injuries and suspensions, is a significant issue for the team. “At the moment, we don’t have the consistency that teams at the top do. They’ve got a spine of players who play week in, week out, and we haven’t got that. We’ve got to work hard to try and get that, but it’s not going to happen overnight.”
Looking ahead, Millen acknowledged the importance of getting back to winning ways. “We’ve got to look forward to next Saturday now. We need to win games, we know that. But a lot of things are going against us at the moment, and some of it is out of our control.”
Despite the tough defeat, Millen was keen to highlight the effort and attitude shown by his players. “The lads kept going, and I’m very conscious not to be too critical of them. I’m asking players who aren’t necessarily 6’3 or 6’4 to compete against bigger, more physical players. That’s a tough ask. We’ve got to be realistic about that.”
However, Millen remained optimistic, pointing out that not every game will present the same challenges. “Not every game is going to be like that. We’ve got plenty of other games where we can compete more than well enough, and that’s what we need to focus on.”
In closing, Millen reiterated that the team must continue to strive for improvement, despite the setbacks. “It’s a tough day, but we’ve got to keep looking forward. We know we’ve got work to do, but we’ve got to make sure this performance doesn’t define us for the rest of the season.”
