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Roma coach Di Francesco on SPAL shock: Silly and wasteful

AS Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco admits he was angry with his players after defeat to SPAL.

Andrea Petagna scored from the spot just before half-time, then Kevin Bonifazi headed home from a corner for the minnows

“I was happy with what we'd done in the first half, but the penalty changed everything, as before that SPAL didn't have a single shot on goal," Di Francesco told Sky Sport Italia.

Luca Pellegrini has a lot of quality and was naïve on the challenge, although I'm not sure quite how much contact he made with Manuel Lazzari in the end. He went down very easily, perhaps too easily.

“We were then too frenetic and hasty in our desire to get back into it, even after they went down to 10 men, not realising it was silly and wasteful to have that attitude.

“I am a little angry, because I have told them before not to keep just pumping balls upfield and hoping for the best. We were in control of the match and there was no need for it.

“We didn't deserve to be a goal down, but the basic problem is that we must react to setbacks, especially when they are undeserved. At the first sign of difficulty, we struggle and make life easier for the opposition than we should.

“We've got to keep playing, even after Edin Dzeko had that great chance and moments later SPAL got the second goal, we have to keep going.

“Dzeko had some big chances and didn't take them, just as he scored with half-chances on other occasions, but we mustn't base our success entirely on Dzeko's form."

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