Ling: "Gutted For The Players"
Martin Ling got the 90-minute performance he had called for in advance of this FA Cup second round tie, and told the United players they could hold their heads high despite a 2-1 defeat to York City.
The visitors arrived on the back of five straight wins but, despite a completely new central midfield pairing of Rory McAuley and Sam Ives, an neutral onlooker would have thought United were the side in form as they dominated the vast majority of the match.
An entertaining first half saw the U's knocking on the York door and seemingly pressing closer to the opening goal, but Michael Rankine's thunderbolt goal came from nowhere on 37 and three minutes later leading scorer Richard Brodie stretched United on the break and earned a penalty from Robbie Willmott on the edge of the area, which he coolly converted to leave United on the ropes.
"I talked about a 90-minute performance and apart from a two-minute mad period we were the better side by far," said Ling afterwards. "We were the better side by far, we had energy and movement about us, but in a mad two minutes we had a wonder strike go in against us and a soft penalty.
"I've laid into the players a couple of times before but today's not one of those occasions. They can walk off with their heads held high and it's just disappointing that we're not in the third round of the FA Cup and we won't be able to get a nice draw and some nice money."
The players were giving Ling everything he has been asking for and had the York defence under pressure while Danny Potter had hardly anything to deal with apart from the two goals, and the U's boss admitted he was "gutted" for the players.
"We were controlling the game and passing with a tempo like I've asked the lads to do, and their goal came from absolutely nowhere and then they got a soft penalty," he said.
"I'm gutted inside; sometimes you're gutted as a manager because your players don't perform and sometimes you're gutted for your players and today it's the second one, without a doubt."
Suspensions to Paul Carden and Jai Reason meant Ling had to hand Sam Ives his first start and Rory McAuley a new role alongside him in midfield for this high pressure game, and he was delighted with the two youngsters.
"I took Sam off on a gamble to put Marriott on and go 4-3-3 for the last ten minutes, but I've just said 'well done' to the pair of them because they didn't look out of place at all," he said. "Every time we've asked youngsters to do it this year they've done it and we controlled the game today."
United's continuous pressure finally paid off when visiting keeper Michael Ingham was finally beaten by Anthony Tonkin, the full-back scoring his first goal for the club from 35 yards.
"He scores a few in training but that's his first one for the club and we were gambling by then," said Ling. "We've got to get goals from all over the pitch; we can't just rely on the front boys all the time, and there's just disappointment that we got back in it and we had a few chances after that and we were camped in their box for the whole of the second half.
"But we move on and we've got Chester on Tuesday night," he added. "That's if there is a game; their game was abandoned today after a pitch invasion so I don't know what's happening there, but we'll get ourselves right for Tuesday.
"And if my team can play like that, with a tempo about them like that, then I'll be a happy manager at the end of the season."
Ling called for the players to match their performance today and carry the momentum into the coming games, saying, "I know they've got it in them because they do it on occasions but it's about doing it for 90 minutes. Today, for all but that two minutes, it was a good performance and I can't criticise them.
"The other day there was plenty to criticise, especially in the first half when we went 2-0 down, but not today. We didn't deserve to be 2-0 down and it was a totally different performance."
Wayne Hatswell will miss the next game through suspension after receiving his fifth booking of the season today, which could hand an opportunity to young centre back Josh Coulson.
"Wayne is the last one who was on four bookings so he misses the next game and we'll have to shuffle the back and put a centre half in for Tuesday," he confirmed. "But the young lads have come in and done a job on occasions and someone will have to do it on Tuesday night."
The match at home to Chester City kicks off at 7.45pm.
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