Roger On Reserves

Roger Cross says there are very good reasons why the reserves have finished bottom of the league this season.

Speaking after the 1-0 defeat by fellow reserve strugglers Southampton, he said:

"We have had a lot of our players out on loan and we have suffered from that.

"For example Grant McCann, who was the best player in the reserves at Charlton last week, has been at Cheltenham for most of the season.

"Jermain Defoe has scored 20 odd goals for Bournemouth but he would have got about 30 in the reserves."

It is not a complaint from Roger, merely an explanation that reserve results have been sacrificed for the greater good, and he adds:

"We have never had a settled side, we have used a numerous amount of players, and more recently we have used schoolboys as well.

"It is all about how you approach it - if we had a regular 18-20 players I know we'd have got results.

"But it is important players get experience on loan that they wouldn't get in the reserves."

Of the defeat at the hands of the Saints - not watched by Harry Redknapp! - he says:

"We played well and I wasn't disappointed; we deserved a draw at least.

"But we had a free kick against us when Louis Riddle made a good tackle, and just like with the first team, we conceded from a set piece.

"And we had a number of half chances that we didn't take."

Roger admits that a number of players involved will travel to Middlesbrough on Friday - while the reserves play their last game of the season...

TEAM:

Forrest, Newton, Williams, Potts, Minto, D McMahon [Foyewa], Britton, Riddle, Uddin, Defoe, Riza.

Subs unused:

Smith, J Sealey, Dean.