Gainsborough Trinity did not deserve to be clapped off by fans after home loss, says new boss Curtis Woodhouse

Following an away league draw and two cup wins on their travels under Woodhouse, Trinity slipped further into the NPL relegation mire when Joe Walton’s first-half finish gave Morpeth Town all three points.

Woodhouse was bemused after his players, who created little in the 90 minutes, were applauded off the pitch.

He said: “We can’t be getting rewards from the fans for being second from bottom.

“This group of players are too good for that. I don’t want the fans to give the players pelters because that helps nobody.

“But the fans need to demand more off us. It’s great that they clap us off, but we need to up our standards here, everybody from the whole football team through to the fans.

“We need to demand more off each other. In patches (against Morpeth) the ground was flat. The atmosphere wasn’t bouncing and I want that from the fans.

“I will probably get a bit of stick for saying this, but

I want more from them and they should want more from us. We have got to stop celebrating averageness. Getting clapped off today, that is what we are celebrating... being bang average and we should not be doing that. We need to get out of this trouble together.

There is so much to work on at this football club and we need to start doing it yesterday. We need to up the standards all over the club and demand and expect more of each other.

“We are in the relegation zone on merit. The season doesn’t lie. We need to get ourselves out of it really quickly.”

Joe Walton struck in the 34th minute for Morpeth Town, powering a header into the bottom corner from Stephen Forster’s cross. Moments earlier Walton had hit the post from a similar position and Jack Foalle also nodded a deep Sean Taylor on to the bar.

At the other end Gavin Allott, Billy Chadwick, Shane Clarke and Curtis Morrison all wasted opportunities for Trinity, while keeper Dan Lowson made a stunning save to deny Allott from point-blank range just before half-time.

Then on the hour Morrison cut into the box and rolled the ball to Clarke, but the keeper dived to tip the ball away and Allott nodded the rebound over the bar.

Woodhouse reflected: “We looked like we had lost our belief. It was flat in patches and we need to be better.”

This coming Saturday Trinity’s FA Trophy run sees them visit Darlington in the third qualifying round.

Woodhouse added: “We have been rewarded for doing well in the cup and we will take each game as it comes.