A DRESSING down in the dressing room!Colchester United defender Marc Tierney admitted that he and his team-mates deserved to be given a roasting by manager Paul Lambert, after the 3-0 defeat at Scunthorpe.

Carl Marston

A DRESSING down in the dressing room!

Colchester United defender Marc Tierney admitted that he and his team-mates deserved to be given a roasting by manager Paul Lambert, after the 3-0 defeat at Scunthorpe.

Tierney revealed that upset boss Lambert had read the riot act during a half-hour stint in the dressing room, focusing on a sub-standard second-half display.

“The gaffer used a few choice words, and we're all in for training tomorrow (Sunday), which is how it should be,” insisted Tierney.

“He gave us a right good talking to. He wasn't very happy, and a few words were said. But it needed to be done, because things need to be sorted out.

“We didn't perform in the second half, which is not like us. We didn't close them down like we should have. We are all disappointed in our performance, and for the fans who made the long journey to watch us.

“We basically felt disgruntled at half-time, because we felt that we had done well in the first half and didn't deserve to be behind (1-0).

“I thought we started well and we had several good chances to score, at least three or four chances. We matched Scunthorpe in that first half, but we were really disappointed with our second half performance.

“The next goal was always going to be vital, and we got caught out,” added Tierney.

The U's were still in the game until the hour mark, when striker Gary Hooper struck with his second goal. A third from Henri Lansbury sealed the U's fate just eight minutes later. There was no way back.

Tierney has been a very consistent performer since his move from Shrewsbury at the end of November. He has rarely put a foot wrong in his left-back role, and has been ever-present since mid-January.

Similarly, the U's have not produced many poor displays since Tierney's arrival, especially on the road. But Saturday was an exception.

The 23-year-old certainly does not want a repeat for the rest of the season.

“We all need to stand up and be counted,” declared Tierney, who will be looking to make amends at Millwall tomorrow evening.

“Nothing went right for us today, but that was not like us. It was the first time the manager had seen us fail to close down opponents and make things happen.

“We need to take this on the chin, and go back to basics. We don't want this season to just peter out, and we won't let it,” concluded Tierney.