Duncan Urges Chesham to Rebound After FA Cup Exit

Following their defeat by Lincoln City, Chesham United expressed appreciation to their supporters. James Duncan, co-manager of Chesham United, subsequently advised his players against dwelling on their feelings of disappointment after their FA Cup campaign concluded. The National League South team had successfully progressed through three qualifying rounds, securing a spot in the main draw for the second consecutive season. Nevertheless, their League One rivals established a lead late in the first half via Jack Moylan, subsequently scoring three more goals in the second half to achieve a 4-0 victory. Speaking to BBC Three Counties Radio, Duncan stated, “Their fitness came into it; they were a very physical, powerful, fit team and overran us a bit in the second half.” He further commented on the necessity of taking an early lead: “You need to go in front in the game. If you go in front you’ve got half a chance because [otherwise] they are so clinical.” A total of 3,963 spectators filled The Meadow, eager to see if Chesham could progress to round two for the first time since 2016, marking only the second occasion in the club’s history, during a match broadcast live on television. Duncan, who has served as joint manager alongside Michael Murray since 2018, remarked, “It’s so good for the club, the town, and all the volunteers who put in so much time and effort – it’s great reward for them to have a TV game. Our league support has been good this year so hopefully they’ll all come back.” Chesham currently occupies 10th place in the league standings, positioned just four points away from the play-off positions, and is scheduled to host Worthing in a home game this Saturday. Duncan further elaborated, “The league is very hard, it’s relentless. It’s really important that we don’t feel sorry for ourselves.” He cautioned about the upcoming fixture: “We’re playing against a top side [on Saturday] and if that happens we’re going to get undone. We’ve got to be very careful of that.” He also referenced previous performance, stating, “We had a good cup run last year and then lost two games. We need to learn from those experiences and make sure we get our league form right.” Full-back Callum Adebiyi, who is set to miss the Worthing game due to suspension, concurred with Duncan, stating: “We need to get back into it quick because the league’s the most important thing. Saturdays, Tuesdays, Christmas period – it’s going to be heavy, so we need to get back into it quick.” He further commented: “We’ve had a brilliant cup run. We started well in the first half but in the end their quality showed.” Adebiyi also reflected on the match, saying, “I thought we could have gone ahead in the first half but their fitness told in the second, especially going downhill [on our pitch] – that was a lot tougher for us.”