Proud Peterborough Sports boss on bouncing straight back to the National League North
Peterborough Sports boss Michael Gash believes his club can make an instant return to the National League North.
A four-year stay at step 2 level formally came to and with a creditable 2-2 draw at Hereford United on Saturday.
Sports did well to bounce back from an 8-0 walloping at Worksop the previous weekend to take to make a team battling to avoid relegation themselves sweat on the outcome. It took a goal in the final 10 minutes for Hereford in front of a near 4,500 crowd to gain the point that ultimately kept them up.
Gash is now hoping for an even bigger bounce back next season.
“We showed what we are capable of,” Gash announced proudly. “Of course we didn’t do it often enough, but hopefully the players will learn from this season, take advice from people who are trying to help and show bouncebackability as the challenge next season will be to win promotion.
"This level is where we want to be. Look at this game with a huge crowd in a big stadium. These are the games we should all want to be involved in.
"I wanted virtually the same team to deliver a very different performance to last weekend and they responded despite falling behind to an early penalty. We rode that early pressure and then turned the tables on them to show our quality with two goals. I know when we play with endeavour and heart our quality will then get us positive results.
“That’s what this club has been built on. That’s why a club of our size were able to get to this level and stay there.
"We wore our hearts on ours sleeves in this game. Obviously we haven’t defended this well often enough, but I was so pleased with the reaction to the previous game. It’s been too little too late, but it was a pleasing way to end a difficult season. We wanted to win the game, but a small individual error cost us that.
"The Hereford manager was quite pleased to get what his team wanted after such a difficult game. He didn't face a team that had given up and who didn't roll over. He faced a team giving everything.
“And a word for our fans. A coachload made this trip even though they’ve been put through it this season. Football can hurt and frustrate fans, so we are grateful that they didn’t give up on us.”