Bradbury reflects on '˜gulf in quality' with Pompey

A 15-minute Conor Chaplin hat-trick laid the foundations for the comprehensive scoreline in Saturday’s Westleigh Park encounter.

Lee Molyneaux’s own goal, Kal Naismith and a Curtis Main penalty completed the result in front of a 2,700 crowd.

For Bradbury, there was disappointment with his team’s display following a high-tempo start from both sides.

He said: ‘I thought we did all right for the opening 30 minutes – then once we conceded a couple of goals were disappointing.

‘We made bad decisions against a good side and got punished for that. I think they showed the gulf in quality between the two teams – and that is not being disrespectful to my side.

‘If you are being pressed and the opposition has a lot of energy, then you have to try to turn them and get them facing their own goal a bit by pressing them high up the pitch. We didn’t do that and must learn.

‘Mind you, we probably won’t play a team as good as them on and off the ball.

‘They set little traps, encouraged us to play, and as a team pressed us high up the pitch and got a couple of goals on the back of that.

‘Perhaps I’m being a little bit hypercritical, but at the same time we have to make better decisions on the ball. We are a better side than we showed.’

The Hawks had only returned to training last week ahead of their National League South return.

And Bradbury believes that should be taken into consideration.

He added: ‘We are three sessions and one game in, asking a lot of players to compete with a League One side – but I think we needed to do better.

‘We did all right for 60 minutes and then the fitness levels of the full-time side comes into it. We were trying to stop them scoring more goals rather than trying to score more ourselves.

‘Next we have Farnborough, but Pompey will be the best side we’ll play until this time next year.’