Paul Cook 'struggling' to 'trust' some Chesterfield players - Bromley reaction

He was speaking after Chesterfield lost 2-0 at Bromley, which leaves their hopes of finishing third hanging in the balance.

He said: “We had a lot of poor performances in key areas of the pitch today. My big thing has always been trust but unfortunately with this group of lads I struggle to trust them in games at the minute and that is after a long season.

“I just don’t feel our habits stay sustained. When you are doing the right things you just need to keep knocking on the door and you eventually get in and that allows you to defend behind the game but when we start doing some of the stuff we do it takes my breath away I have got to be honest.

“In the key moments when you have got to be able to defend, when you have got to sustain attacks, or when you are looking for a goal. We needed a goal today and you are looking round the pitch to say who is going to get us it. What we have got to make sure is those key players stand up."

Asked how that trust can come, he added: “Over time, over personnel. Certainly not over one game.

“Unfortunately that is the same team that played Tuesday night. We are trying to be fair with players but you have got to have some level of consistency. That is what I have felt all year, we have really probably struggled at times to consistently perform. We have been on a great run, there is no getting away from that, and if we can beat Maidstone next week we will have 84 points which is a good return in any division.

“The first goal is a worldie and the second is an own goal and you just think is it just not meant to be. But my way is, when it is not meant to be, don’t get beat. A draw today would have done us quite nicely and set us up for Maidstone and unfortunately today we have not done that.”

The damage was done in each half from a Billy Bingham deflected strike and an own goal from Ash Palmer. Michael Cheek also missed a penalty at 1-0.

“I am bitterly disappointed,” Cook explained.

“Today we just needed to come and put one big performance in that would have sent our supporters home happy but unfortunately we have not delivered.

“I was just disappointed that if you want someone badly you have got to show more than we showed today.

“After 25-30 minutes I thought we looked a really good side. We were in control and we created a good amount of chances.

"We have probably had enough chances to certainly be involved in a football game and we have not taken them. And then at the opposite end of the pitch, for whatever reason, we just go soft.

“In the space of a heartbeat, all of a sudden, from moments of madness, it is all I can say, it is no great play, we play short corners and they end up with a penalty. You just can’t make it up with us.You have got to be built solid. You have got to have solidity in your team because that allows you to create chances to score.”

“We probably could have played until midnight and not scored and we certainly looked anything but solid so it is massively disappointing.”

Chesterfield had what looked like a strong shout for a penalty in the second-half when Paul McCallum had his shirt pulled in the box but the appeals fell on deaf ears.

Cook added: “We all feel it is a penalty, but it is football.”