Chris Powell says his Huddersfield Town side must pick themselves up and put on a show at home in the Yorkshire derby against Rotherham United on Saturday after suffering a second defeat in four days at Brentford.
Following the 3-0 Championship setback at Charlton Athletic came a 4-1 loss at Griffin Park, where the home side scored three second-half goals.
Powell said he was optimistic at half-time, when it was 1-1 after Harry Bunn cancelled out on-loan Everton striker Chris Long’s opener.
But Long put Brentford back in front after 51 minutes, then his fellow loan men Alex Pritchard (Tottenham Hotspur) and Jon Toral (Arsenal) sealed the Bees’ third straight home victory.
Town dropped a place to 15th and have now conceded 60 goals in 35 games, the second-worst tally in the division behind basement side Blackpool who have let in 68.
“It’s far too many,” said Powell.
“It shouldn’t be that for the whole season, never mind with 11 games still to go, and we have to cut out the mistakes we are making.
“We started both halves really poorly and got punished.
In pictures: Brentford 4-1 Huddersfield Town
“We could have been three down in the first half but for two terrific saves by Alex Smithies.
“We dug ourselves out of a hole, and started to get bit more confident in ball.
“We pushed forward more and got a very good goal and got to half-time level.
“We needed to carry on in the same vein but we conceded very early again in the second half.
“Then we were up against it because we had to open up to try to get back in.
“It was a cruel third goal, a nasty deflection, but that’s two bad defeats on the road now and we need to post ourselves up for the Rotherham game.”
Powell was forced to bring off left-back Jack Robinson at half-time because of injury.
Jake Carroll came on for his first Town appearance since September 2013.
