Goalkeeper Stewart says Gainsborough Trinity must keep momentum going

The experienced Stewart was speaking after Trinity had ground out a 1-0 victory away to struggling Mickleover Sports on Saturday to lift them to the brink of the play-off places in the Premier Division of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League.

“We can’t afford to slip up now,” he said. “We need to keep this momentum going for as long as we possibly can.

“The next ten games are really important for us.”

Stewart agreed that it was a key win in the kind of bread-and-butter match that often makes such a difference to the chase for honours.

“Yes, it was vital, and we needed it,” he said. “Conditions were hard, but we dealt with them well. There was a heavy pitch, a quiet atmosphere and drowsy weather, so it was a massive victory.”

Stewart himself played a big part in the win, making three fine first-half saves to keep the scores level.

“The second one was probably the best,” he said. “It was a half-volley, and the save was just instinctive.

“The other two were comfortable ones. That is what I do. It was good and I enjoyed it.

“We soaked up a lot of pressure in the first half when Mickleover threw quite a lot at us. But we still had a lot of energy in the tank in the second half, whereas they ran out a bit, it seemed.”

Stewart also praised goalscorer Max Watters for his “fantastic debut and a good finish”, but warned that this Saturday’s game with Stafford Rangers would be tough after they hammered Grantham Town 5-0 on Saturday.