Noel Hunt: I hope everyone in that dressing room is hurting

SWINDON TOWN suffered another embarrassing FA Cup exit, this time to National League North Darlington who held on for a 2-1 win at the County Ground. Total Sport Swindon's Rajan Hothi spoke to a disappointed Noel Hunt following the loss.

Campbell brace, either side of an equaliser from Brett Pitman, saw Darlington dump Swindon out of the FA Cup at the first-round stage as Town struggled to get going against their Non-League counterparts. 

Interim manager Noel Hunt made no secret of his anger at the same mistakes being made, which is ultimately costing his side. 

"It happens when you give away sloppy, easy, silly goals," said Hunt.

"You saw it today, we keep making the same mistakes and it has to change.

"The performance overall was disappointing, we should've scored twice before we gifted them the first goal.

"Joel [Grant] with the one-on-one should score and then the game was totally different," he added. 

"We gifted them the goal with the short back pass, something that we said all week we weren't going to do.

"You have to live and learn in this game, and the boys need to learn that there are consequences for performances like that."

The performance will worry many Swindon fans who saw their side struggle to create anything of note following the visitors' second goal.

Hunt stated that he felt his side panicked when they saw Darlington more than happy to sit back on their lead. 

"[The performance] is unacceptable, and it can't happen," stated Hunt.

"Both goals we gave away are too easy, too soft and I'm just very disappointed with how the performance went."

"We went two up-front [after conceding the second] and I spoke about getting the ball wide, but I thought we panicked.

"They saw a team sitting deep, and then tried to play eye of a needle passes when they're not on.

"From that aspect, it is very disappointing," he continued. 

"We spoke about playing in behind them, not in front of them, but they did to us what we should've done to them.

"I've got a right-back at right-wing in the second-half, and I've got two half-injured players playing, unfortunately, there wasn't much we could do."

Following Richie Wellens departure to Salford, Noel Hunt has emerged as the bookies favourite for the vacant managerial job, but the result will do no favours to his chances of becoming the next Town gaffer.

However, Hunt was quick to state that his main concern is the team, and not his own managerial prospects. 

"I don't worry about myself, I worry about the team," revealed Hunt.

"I'll sit with the chairman and have a talk about it, but obviously it hasn't helped me and I said that to the boys.

"But I don't worry about them things, I want this team to improve and learn from their mistakes."

The FA Cup has become a harrowing experience for Swindon fans in the last decade, with the defeat to Darlington the sixth time they have been dumped out of the FA Cup at the hands of a Non-League side since 2010. 

Hunt stated that he understands the fans frustration but equally feels as if some players don't understand the importance of cup competitions - especially to the fans.

"Absolutely, I get it, it's bitterly disappointing," said Hunt.

"I hope everyone in that dressing room is hurting tonight because I am.

"It has to hurt the players, but I don't think it has hurt enough of them.

"I don't think they understand just how important cup competitions are, and how important playing for your place is.

"I feel like we have let the club down with the performance, but now I have to reflect, look at who we have available and putting a gameplan together to win our next game."

Swindon make the short trip to play Forest Green Rovers, in the Papa John's Trophy, but with the chances of qualifying for the next round slim, Hunt will be eager to just get out of the game without any new injuries.

18-year-old striker Harry Parsons could be handed a start, with the youngster impressing in the FA Youth Cup. 

"We are down to the bare-bones, we got an under-18 [Parsons] who played in the FA Youth Cup on the bench and he'll be involved Tuesday.

"He'll have to play as we've got another couple of knocks today and the bigger picture is obviously the league.

"It's a game we have to fulfil, we can't go through, so we'll see what sort of numbers we have available and go from there."