PETALING JAYA: The soldiers will not cry over spilt milk.  Armed Forces coach B. Sathianathan said the 1-0 home defeat by Lions XII was a bitter pill to swallow but is confident that his men will bounce back stronger.

 “I admit it was a game we should’ve won hands down but we blew it. I’m disappointed with the result but not the performance,” he said.

 “The positive thing is that we created chances … hopefully, we’ll learn from our mistakes.”

 The Gladiators were all over the Lions but just couldn’t hit the target.

 Top hitman Marlon Alex James missed three sitters, including an open goal. Skipper Hairuddin Omar’s shot from inside the box hit the woodwork while centreback Irfan Fadli Idrus saw his glancing header saved by in-form goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud.

 Luck was clearly not on their side when Lions skipper Shahril Ishak scored the winner off a goalmouth melee – and against the run of play – in the 67th minute.

 Sathianathan believes his men will be able to put the defeat behind them and be focused on the next game against PKNS FC at the Shah Alam Stadium tomorrow.

 “Christie’s (Jayaseelan) down with a groin injury but will be back in the team soon. We’ll have more penetration on the flanks. I’m sure we’ll get over this defeat,” said Sathianathan.

 Last week, Forces lifted the Charity Shield after defeating treble winners Kelantan 4-3 on penalty shootouts after both teams were tied at 1-1 in regulation time.

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