Stowmarket Town boss, Rick Andrews, admitted that Saturday’s exit from the FA Vase, at the hands of Wroxham and in front of a bumper crowd of 1,041, was a “hard one to take.”

East Anglian Daily Times: Wroxham midfielder Jordan King shapes to shoot during his side's 2-0 victory over Stowmarket Town in the FA Vase. Picture: HOGAN COBBOLDWroxham midfielder Jordan King shapes to shoot during his side's 2-0 victory over Stowmarket Town in the FA Vase. Picture: HOGAN COBBOLD (Image: Archant)

Stow were beaten 2-0 at Trafford Park, in this all-Thurlow Nunn Premier fifth round tie, and so missed the chance to reach the quarter-finals of this national competition for the first time in their history.

A 65th minute penalty by Grant Holt, and an injury-time goal by Shaun Taylor, sealed Stow's fate.

"Of course it's frustrating. As a management team, we targeted getting to the quarter-finals, as a minimum, so we have obviously fallen short of that," explained Andrews.

"But we have taken them a little bit further than they had done before, and I'm proud for one of my teams to be playing in front of a crowd like this.

East Anglian Daily Times: Stowmarket Town midfielder Robbie Sweeney is in the thick of the action, at Trafford Park on Saturday. Picture: HOGAN COBBOLDStowmarket Town midfielder Robbie Sweeney is in the thick of the action, at Trafford Park on Saturday. Picture: HOGAN COBBOLD (Image: Archant)

"We just need to suck it up, though it's a hard one to take.

"It hurts, but now we go again Tuesday - we want to see if we can put the league to bed as soon as possible," said Andrews, with reference to the home league game against FC Clacton.

- Grant Holt is spot on as Stowmarket bow out of FA Vase

Andrews continued: "We never got going in the first half. As I said at half-time, I thought that Wroxham dominated possession, though only creating half-chances.

"They were winning far too many second balls, for my liking, something like 80:20 in their favour, and that's what we said to the players at half-time. That just wasn't us, because we are normally pretty good on second balls.

"The great news at half-time was that it was still 0-0, and then we were on front foot early in the second half. Josh (Mayhew) had a great header saved, and but we have then conceded a goal from our own throw-in.

"That's why it hurts a bit, because if we had been 1-0 down at half-time and lost the game 1-0, then you could say the first half killed us.

"But having weathered the storm and come out strongly in the second half, that's why it hurts."

With reference to Tom Bullard's sending-off, after conceding the penalty, Andrews said: "As regards the sending off, the second yellow was another booking, but I was disappointed with the first one because they just crossed each other. He didn't deliberately take him (Charlie Clarke) out. That was harsh especially as the linesman didn't give it. But it was a big occasion, a big crowd, with lots of vocals, so the referee sometimes gets swayed.

"I wish Wroxham all the best, they are a very good side, and the Thurlow Nunn League have got a team in the last eight (of the FA Vase). I shall be watching on with envy on Monday when the draw is made, to see who they get.

"We nearly got back into it, but that's cup football.

"We were chasing with 10 men at the end, which is why we got caught with the second goal."