HARRIERS boss Neil MacFarlane says their FA Cup exit at the hands of Stourbridge is a “harsh lesson” for his players.

Reds lost 3-2 at the War Memorial Ground despite leading 2-0 thanks to an Ed Williams strike and Joe Ironside penalty.

However, the hosts staged a late fightback to send MacFarlane’s men crashing out.

The boss said: “Ultimately I’m really disappointed with the result. It’s a real sore on for us.

“We had total control of the football match, we had the game won and we just gifted them a way back into the football match.

“It’s a harsh lesson for our young defenders today.

“I’m really, really disappointed with how the game manufactured. We were cruising at 2-0, had numerous chances to put them to bed and gave them a way back, which is really disappointing.

“We gave them a moment that enabled them to get back into the game but that’s a harsh lesson for all of us in terms of making sure that we see games out, which we have done this season and hopefully that young group will learn from that.

“No one is more disappointed than myself. I’ll take the responsibility because that is the job, that is the manager’s job.

As I said to the group, we’re in this together, as we have been when we’ve been winning and it’ll be the same when we’re losing and we must respond at Bradford next week.”