Gainsborough Trinity boss praises young players and club's fans after FC United win

Gainsborough celebrate scoring against FC United on Saturday. Photo: Gainsborough Trinity FC.

Trinity overcame visitors FC United of Manchester 3-2 in front of 969 spectators on Saturday, Elicha Ahui and debutant Freddie Draper putting them 2-0 up before Alex Woolley’s goal on 78 minutes which was sandwiched between two Regan Linney goals for the visitors, the second being seven minutes from time to set up a grandstand finish.

And the Trinity head coach felt it was a good all-round display, albeit not without its nervy moments.

Shaw said: "It was a performance that had a bit of everything against a very good football team who are among the best we’ve played.

"We were really aggressive in the first half-hour or so and blew them away a little bit and stretched their back line. With two up front against their two centre-halves we wanted to try and feed them and I think our lads were a bit too much for their back line.

"Then we ended up having to be gritty. We’ve come up short late on recently and conceded goals and it got interesting again towards the end but there were some really good bits in there and we were desperate to cling on to the result which we were determined enough to do.”

On the display of 18-year-old Ahui, Shaw added: “There’s so much more to come from him physically but he’s already very athletic and plays with no fear, like he’s in a year nine PE class, and he’s a pleasure to coach and drove the team on, as did the other young loanees from Lincoln.”

Trinity were cheered on by a nearly four-figure crowd on Saturday, albeit with many following the well-supported visitors, with Shaw pleased to hear them give as good as they got in the noise stakes.

He said: “Their fans are fantastic but we matched it and I was really pleased with that, and the reception our fans have given us at the end, which was warranted by the players, was brilliant.

"The fans have been great and we’ve had good home form, which has helped, but even when things haven’t gone as well they’ve been great.”

Trinity were due back in action on Tuesday night, after the Standard had gone to press, with a Lincolnshire Senior Cup semi-final at home to Boston United.

They then go to title-chasing Buxton on Saturday.