Michael Duff described his team's Leasing.com Trophy defeat to Newport County as a "freak game" but admitted his side did not defend properly as the goals flew in at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium.
The Welsh side kept their chances alive of qualifying for the next stage of the competition, while ending Cheltenham's with a remarkable 7-4 victory.
Both Taylor Maloney and Tristan Abrahams scored hat-tricks for Michael Flynn's side who will now wait on the result of Wednesday's final group game between Exeter City and West Ham United under-21s.
"We didn't defend properly," Duff said. "I think it was a bit of a freak game as well. I think they've had seven shots on target and scored seven goals so it doesn't happen very often.
"We'll have games this year where we concede more shots on target than that.
"We need to learn that you can't be a nice team. It was 3-3 at one point and they'd hardly had a kick. You can't give up goals like that in any game of football.
"We moved the ball really well but we didn't do the other side of the game.
"There are three sides to a football match - in possession, out of possession and transitional. We only did one side well today.
"We moved the ball well first half and scored three good goals, but gave up some really poor goals because in transition we weren't organising quick enough and didn't mean enough to not let the ball come into our box.
"The last five minutes of the game seemed the difference between the two teams. Their 'keeper has made a couple of good saves and they've made three or four really good blocks - even at 7-4 up - and that was the difference in the game."
Watch more from Duff's post-match press conference above for free on iFollow.
He next leads his side out this Saturday with a return to League Two action and a trip to Exeter City.
Kick-off at St James Park is at 3pm and tickets and away travel are available from the ticket office on Thursday and Friday between 10am and 3pm this week.