FA CUP defeats hurt at the best of times but at least we can ease the pain with swift revenge against Nuneaton on Saturday.

The players were bitterly disappointed to get knocked out of the cup but there's no time to sit feeling sorry for ourselves because we have an equally important league game on the horizon.

Motivation, of course, shouldn't be a problem and the players will be anxious to come away with at least a point.

Despite Nuneaton's unbeaten record I felt going into Saturday's match that it was a winnable tie and despite not quite having enough to pull it off, we must take the positives from the game, notably our first half performance.

The quality of our football was outstanding and David Foy and Pat Lyons were instrumental in that.

Their style of play, keeping it short and sharp, helps us play much better football and Foy in particular was excellent --- he looks back to his best.

But if you don't take your chances you are always left susceptible and so it proved at Manor Park.

Adam Webster was disappointed he didn't score when he had a good opportunity and it proved costly after the break when they broke the deadlock.

It wasn't a great goal to concede and we felt we could have dealt with it better. Once they'd gone ahead we were on the back foot and were left with 25 minutes to try and pull something out of the cup-tie and though Leon Kelly rattled the bar it wasn't to be.

Another forward whose had bad luck is Stewart Hadley who has decided to retire.

It's a blow for him and us but the upshot of it is that he's struggled, because of injury and fitness, to replicate that early form he showed when he first signed for us.

We sat and discussed it on Monday and agreed by mutual consent to cancel his contract. There was the opportunity for him to go on loan in a bid to get fit but when he weighed everything up opted to retire.

He's come from full-time professional, training seven days a week, to the non league game and sometimes players struggle to adjust but I think ultimately injury has forced his decision.

Another player coming back from injury but hopefully with a happier outcome is David Holmes and we are hoping he will go out on loan to help his fitness.

He's been playing in the reserves, but with all due respect to that division, it does not get you to the fitness required to play at our level so we will be looking at the option of loaning him out.

On a final note I was interested to note that one of Hull City's scorers against Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday was Ryan France.

He's a player I tried to sign from Alfreton for a five-figure sum in the summer. Worcester City were the first club to put in a bid for him but he eventually went to Hull for in the region of £15,000.

I would suggest people in non league keep an eye on him because I think he can play at a higher level than Division Three.