CTV > Mick Malthouse's post-match press conference

COLLINGWOOD coach Mick Malthouse has lamented his players’ skill execution under pressure in the aftermath of Saturday night’s nail-biting loss to North Melbourne.

The Magpies gave up a 21-point lead 12 minutes into the final term to eventually fall by seven points, with the coach pointing to the Kangaroos’ ability to make the most of their opportunities up forward late as a key factor.

“I suppose we had our chances, [but] I think the better side won,” Malthouse said.

“I just didn’t think we used the ball as well as we should have. They capitalised on the fall of the ball in their forward line – they kicked goals, we didn’t – it doesn’t get much more simple than that.”

That certainly wasn’t case for the first three quarters when the Roos nearly kicked themselves out of the contest with some wayward shooting for goal, with Corey Jones the worst offender, finishing with 1.5.

“It’s not often that you give Jones three shots just before half time and he misses the three of them,” Malthouse said.

“[But] the game can fluctuate and change in a heartbeat; football, the way it’s played today, is not necessarily like it used to be played 10 years ago when a 20-point lead will almost sustain a victory. Football changes very quickly.”

Alan Didak was among his side’s best players on the night with 29 possessions, but while his late miss running into an open goal was a key moment in the match, Malthouse refused to point the finger of blame in his direction.

“It’s academic isn’t it? He missed the goal; it doesn’t matter who had [the shot],” he said.

“Didak had it, he missed it, but I don’t blame one kick.”

Malthouse denied his players had taken their foot off the pedal after Josh Fraser kicked his fourth goal to give his side the healthy lead and also doubted whether fitness had been a factor.

“I wouldn’t have thought so,” he said.

“We had a couple of blokes who were pretty sore – [Brodie] Holland injured himself just before quarter time which was a bit of a shame because he’s just coming back – so that sort of cut our midfield back a bit, but you don’t blame one … rotation player.

“I hope it’s not fitness; I certainly wouldn’t have thought so.”

The coach admitted the confidence levels of the group had been affected by two losses in the last fortnight, but challenged his players to find the mental edge that made pressure on the opposition ball carrier a trademark of the club’s last season.

“That is an area where we are certainly not as strong as last year,” he said.

“You can train all you like, but that’s not a training exercise, it is simply a mental exercise, so we’ll just see how players come up from that. But we … are certainly well below last year.

“Players would be disappointed with their performances, we’ll just work on things that didn’t go right and try to enhance things that did.”