PHIL Brown admits his Kidderminster Harriers side could not handle the pressure of the play-offs following a 2-1 semi-final defeat against Chester.
Harriers surrendered an early lead at Aggborough as Dylan Mottley-Henry and Declan Weeks struck after Kyle Morrison put Kidderminster ahead.
The play-off semi-final defeat brings an end to Kidderminster’s season following the club’s failure to win the title and automatic promotion on the final day of the National League North season at Southport.
And Brown admits his players did not respond to the pressure situation of the play-offs as the club’s season ended in disappointment.
Brown said: “There’s highs and lows and there’s a winner and a loser and unfortunately we’ve been on the losing end of two poor performances from us.
“Chester were resilient, well-organised, well versed to change and better than us at second balls which is something I find hard to believe.
“You can praise the opposition but you’ve got to give criticism to your own – myself included.
“The criticism comes in the way of being able to handle yourself on the bigger stage and it’s always the last game of the season.
“We haven’t stepped up to the plate, we haven’t been able to handle the pressure, it’s something I’m going to have to address in the close season.
“If your basics are not right, these moments come along where the pressure is on and they get questioned.
“If you don’t step up to the plate in these moments, then you’re never going to step up to the plate and that’s what has happened in the last couple of games.
“There are no words of wisdom, we have to understand why we lost the game. When the pressure was cranked up, we didn’t respond.
“We were responsible for getting it to the last game of the season but to not conduct yourself in the manner you have done is unacceptable.
“To have players that can’t handle pressure is something I have to look at deeply with regards to next season.”
Harriers took the lead on 19 minutes when Morrsion volleyed in a corner from the left at the back post from close range.
However, Chester drew level on 35 minutes as Mottley-Henry finished from eight-yards out after Christian Dibble could only parry an initial shot from distance into the scorer’s path.
The visitors spurned a golden chance to complete the turnaround on 54 minutes as Dibble denied Kurt Willoughby from the penalty spot.
However, Chester eventually claimed the lead on 82 minutes when Weeks lashed a low effort into the bottom left corner from just inside the penalty area.
