ANDY NICOL felt Studley have had a week without the rub of the green as the Bees bowed out of two cup competitions in the space of three days.
Studley were knocked out of the FA Vase on Saturday in a 2-0 defeat to higher-ranked Hanley Town of the North West Counties Premier Division.
Dan Cope had given Hanley a 30th-minute lead before Martin Stanyer’s header nine minutes from time booked the visitors’ place in the first round proper.
The Bees were then sent packing from the Worcestershire Senior Urn in a 2-1 home defeat to Midland League Premier Division outfit Lye Town on Tuesday night.
After Luke Dugmore was sent off for a second bookable offence in the second half, goals from Jack Till and Jacob Wedderburn put the Black Country visitors in control.
Danny Ludlow pulled one back late on but it was not enough as Studley suffered successive defeats for the first time this season.
“We have just not had the rub of the green,” said Nicol. “We competed well in both games against higher opposition but unfortunately some decisions went against us.
“We had a goal chalked off against Hanley as well as a stonewall penalty not given and then we were always going to be up against it with ten men against a team of Lye’s calibre.
“There’s no doubting we gave a very good account of ourselves in both games but unfortunately that’s football.”
Nicol is hoping for better fortunes on Saturday when Studley return to Midland League Division One action with a home clash against Heather St John’s.
With reformed Ilkeston Town coming to the Beehive the following Saturday, Nicol told the Standard he would be happy with picking up four points from a possible six.
“Heather is a massive game for us,” he said. “They are managed by the former Coleshill Town manager (Simon Lyons) and have a very good striker in Shane Benjamin so it is going to be a big game for us.
“At the start of the season nobody expected much of us but all of a sudden we have become talk of the town.
“With dark horses Ilkeston the following week it would be good to come away from our next two games without defeat.”
The Bees have a four-point lead at the top, although second-placed Walsall Wood have two games in hand.
