FA Trophy: Peterborough Sports bow out despite fightback against Gateshead

Michael Gash's former clubs include Cambridge United, York City Kidderminster and Barnet

Peterborough Sports co-manager Michael Gash expressed pride in the character showed by the team following their FA Trophy defeat by Gateshead.

The Turbines were 3-0 down after 22 minutes in their quarter-final tie.

Dajaune Brown scored a hat-trick but Josh McCammon and Gash himself pulled two goals back before the game ended 3-2 to Gateshead.

"It was such a proper performance from that in the first 25-20 minutes," Gash told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"They had a couple of breakaways but we were on top of them second half. It shows the ability we've got and when everyone's at it, how good we can be."

Sports had knocked out two other National League sides, Dagenham & Redbridge and Kidderminster, to reach the last eight.

But despite having chances to equalise, they bowed out of the competition, with Barnet, Solihull Moors and Macclesfield Town joining Gateshead in the last four.

"We weren't at the races in the first 25 minutes, but had chances ourselves in the first half," said Gash, who is co-manager alongside Luke Steele.

"We said to them 'you've got to believe, go out there second half and be better on the front foot, be better closing people down and not giving them space to do what they can do'. We were just off it and when you're playing a team like Gateshead who are a good team in the National League, they're going to punish you.

"But (for the team) to show that character and spirit and pride, that's what we want from them.

"We wanted to give the fans that have travelled hundreds of miles something to be proud of and to be 3-0 down at half-time, that's not what they came to see. Hopefully we gave them something in the second half and showed them how good we can be."

Sports are 15th in National League North and at home to Buxton on Tuesday.

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