COACH Mark Molesley admitted Cherries could have “no excuses” after losing out in the final of the Hampshire Senior Cup at St Mary’s last night.

One of the strongest teams Cherries had fielded in the competition went down 7-6 in a penalty shootout after the 90 minutes against Basingstoke Town had finished 0-0.

Southern Premier League Basingstoke had the better of the chances and appeared to have been denied a penalty for a handball by Ollie Harfield in the closing stages.

Jack Simpson and Antonio Diaz both saw their spot-kicks saved by Basingstoke goalkeeper Alex Tokarczyk, while Cherries stopper Callum Stanton kept out George Bennett’s effort in the shootout which went to sudden death.

Molesley said: “To be honest, I thought we got what we deserved. We didn’t show enough in the game by our standards, which was hugely disappointing.

“The lads have worked so hard this season and I was gutted for them that they didn’t really showcase themselves in the way I wanted them to and the way they would have wanted to.

“We were disappointing and it was a shame on such a big stage. We were disappointed with ourselves but you have to give credit to Basingstoke as well.

“They were good on the break, they had some dangerous players and they stifled us. We didn’t quite get going so it was a big learning curve for our players. In the cold light of day, I think they probably learned a lot.

“They probably learned a lot more in defeat than maybe they would have from winning. It’s about the development pathway for them, it is not all about medals and trophies at this stage of their careers.

“But if they want medals and trophies, they have to learn to deal with situations like this a lot better. As long as they learn their lesson, they will be fine because we don’t want to see a repeat of that.”

Molesley added: “There were no excuses from us. It is a great surface and a big pitch which should have suited us. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite get into our rhythm. We should have exploited them a little more and moved the ball quicker and with a little more purpose.

“The first half was particularly disappointing. We were too tentative and that is not the Bournemouth way. We are a high-energy, high-press side and we didn’t show that.

“There were a few choice words at half-time. We looked to try to get going in the second half but, unfortunately, we just couldn’t get into our stride. We didn’t get into our flow.

“Losing on penalties is a cruel way but, to be honest, even if we had won the shootout, we would have been disappointed because the performance wasn’t true of ourselves or the club.

“It was a fantastic occasion, another good learning curve and another experience playing at a great stadium with a bit of pressure to win the game.

“As long as they have learned their lessons, it will have been a worthwhile exercise and I hope they all go on to take strength out of the negatives.”

Cherries: Stanton, Seaman, Harfield, McCarthy (Quigley, h-t), Simpson, Cargill, Ndjoli (Diaz, 86), Worthington, Surridge, Taylor, Dobre. Unused subs: Hobson, Neale, Dennis (g/k).