Stockport manager Dave Challinor admitted his side got what they deserved as their 12-game winning streak came to an end with a 2-1 defeat at struggling Newport.
A 13th win on the bounce would have broken the record for consecutive victories in the fourth tier set by Luton Town in 2002.
But goals from Bryn Morris and Shane McLoughlin either side of half-time put the home side in charge and Isaac Olaofe’s stoppage-time consolation was too little too late for the League Two leaders.
“It’s disappointing; we got from the game what we deserved to get from the game because we weren’t good enough and we didn’t compete how I’d expect us to compete,” said Challinor.
“Credit to Newport, they deserved to win, but it was no shock. The players knew what to expect, they just didn’t cope with it. Technically we were terrible.”
Challinor rejected the suggestion that his players had been affected by pre-match talk of the record.
“There was no pressure,” he said. “Records are great but, ultimately, they mean nothing.
“If we’d won 15 in a row and not got promoted that record is irrelevant. Who’s bothered? The fans aren’t, I’m not and the players’ aren’t.
“All the 12 wins have done is earn us 36 points. It’s about getting to 90 points as quickly as possible – if we get somewhere near that, we’ve got a chance.”
Challinor felt his side should have had a penalty for a foul on Olaofe at 1-0, but he refused to blame referee Darren Drysdale for the defeat.
“We should have had a penalty – the foul on ‘Tanto’ was a nailed-on penalty,” added the Hatters boss. “If they’re honest about what they’ve seen, we’ll get an apology over that one, but I don’t think we deserved anything from the game.
“It would have given us a lifeline and could have changed the momentum, but we didn’t get the decision and we move on.”
Exiles manager Graham Coughlan was pleased with the three points that lift his side to 16th – seven points clear of the bottom two – and he demanded more of the same from his players.
“I’ve said to the lads, you can see why I get frustrated, annoyed and angry because they are capable of that, it’s just getting that consistency and keeping those standards,” said the Irishman.
“It’s a great victory but, as I said after beating Gillingham and drawing with MK Dons, we want to be a consistent team, not one that delivers twice a month.
“It’s about building and kicking on, let’s not get carried away and too excited about the victory, let’s string a few together and then I might crack a smile.”
'I want to be the best player at the Copa America' – Colombia's James has sights set on glory
James Rodriguez wants to be the Copa America's standout player, and is going some way to being just that.
Colombia reached the semi-finals with a thumping 5-0 defeat of Panama on Saturday, with James taking a starring role as Los Cafeteros claimed their biggest Copa Ameria win.
James scored a penalty and supplied two assists, including a delicious ball for Luis Diaz to make it 3-0 just before half-time.
The former Real Madrid playmaker, who hardly featured for club side Sao Paulo last season, has now created five goals at this edition of the tournament, equalling the record haul for assists (since Opta began collecting such data) at the Copa America, alongside Lionel Messi's five in 2021.
And having missed out on a call-up to Colombia's squad in 2021, James made it clear he plans on being the tournament's standout performer.
"A tough match, they are very strong, but we played well, we knew how to score the goals quickly and that gave us control of the match," James said.
"Did I want to be the best player of the Copa? Yes, I wanted to have a very good Cup, help my team-mates to go far.
"We are going until the last day, let's hope we can reach that great final that we all want, we are going through a good moment too.
"The most important thing is still to come. We hope to reach the final."
Saturday's match was the second time James has directly contributed to three goals in a competitive match for Colombia, after scoring and providing two assists against Japan in the 2014 World Cup (4-1), in which he won the Golden Boot.
Colombia are now unbeaten in 27 games, matching their best such streak, and will face Uruguay, who overcame Brazil 4-2 on penalties, for a place in the final.
Trust the process, says Pickford after penalty shootout heroics for England
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford preached "trust the process" after his penalty shootout heroics against Switzerland.
Pickford got down low to keep out Switzerland's first spot-kick, denying Manuel Akanji.
While the 30-year-old could not prevent the Swiss scoring from their next three attempts, England stayed perfect through the shootout, with Trent Alexander-Arnold holding his nerve to send Gareth Southgate's team into the Euro 2024 semi-finals.
Pickford has now saved four of the 14 penalties he has faced in shootouts at major tournaments, twice as many as all other England goalkeepers combined saved between 1990 and 2012 (two out of 36).
Images shared widely on social media showed Pickford's water bottle had a list of each of Switzerland's penalty takers, and a direction in which he should dive.
And the Everton shot-stopper explained how he had to adapt his routine slightly in Dusseldorf, though he still trusted his process regardless.
He told ITV Sport: "The referee didn't let me do my usual process so I've had to adapt. I like to give the lads the ball, it helps me with a bit of focus, and staying calm, but I could only do it on the first one – luckily I saved it!
"I trust my process, what I do, with my mentality, that I'm going to save at least one for the lads.
"But massive respect to the lads that stood up and took one and to score in the way they did – huge credit.
Two lads making their major tournament debuts in this tournament, and then Bukayo [Saka] coming off the back of 2021 and stepping up – it shows the character in our squad.
"We've got a quick turnaround but we're still here, and that's what we want and what the nation wants."
For just the second time in their 10th shootout at a major tournament, England scored every single one of their penalties in the shootout (5/5), also doing so against Spain at Euro 1996 (4/4).
Penalty shootout victory over Brazil was winning in Uruguayan style, says Bielsa
Uruguay showed their character and the national team's "style" in their penalty shootout win over Brazil, so says Marcelo Bielsa.
Fifteen-time Copa America champions Uruguay progressed to the semi-finals at Brazil's expense with a 4-2 victory in the shootout after a 0-0 draw in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Uruguay, who have quickly adapted to Bielsa's full-throttle attacking approach, had to play out the last 20 minutes with 10 men after Nahitan Nandez was sent off for a lunge on Rodrygo.
It meant the usual offensive tactics had to make way for defensive ones, though from Nandez's red card onwards, Uruguay limited Brazil to just two attempts.
"Everything that happens, happens Uruguayan style, because the players are the ones that give their all to the team," Bielsa said.
"It was a match with very little goal opportunities, highly contested, very close, even with very little changes in possession.
"When we were one man down, we decided to dedicate ourselves to defending in our half.
"So holding on to that result as the Uruguayan team did shows the profile of Uruguayan football.
"They were very calm in the penalty shootout that demands not only accuracy but also character."
Uruguay have now kept three successive clean sheets, while they limited Brazil to 0.58 expected goals (xG), and their defensive resilience has pleased Bielsa.
"I am a bit more drawn to the offensive than the defensive game, but in a match that was as tight as this one, we created one more opportunity than our opponent and we defended well," Bielsa added.
"I do think that defensively, not because I achieved it but because the players are inherently good at defending, that they are very good at keeping a clean sheet."
This is the first time Uruguay have reached the semi-finals of the Copa America since the last time they won the trophy in 2011.
La Celeste had endured three consecutive quarter-final appearances without advancing, with two of those being decided by penalties (2019 and 2021).
Uruguay will face in-form Colombia, who hammered Paraguay 5-0, in the last four.
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