Daryl McMahon expressed huge admiration for his squad as they put a troubling week to one side to push Salford City all the way – and he urged Fleet to use it as a platform to haul themselves back up the league.
“We’ve got to start our season now,” he said. “It’s a fantastic performance away against a good side and we’ve got two home games now in the league and we need to put some performances in and get some points. I’m hugely proud of the players. I thought they were terrific today from the start right until the end. We created a number of chances and looked a threat all afternoon. We defended really well against an excellent Salford team.”
Some observers may have been surprised by dogged Fleet’s point at a stadium that hasn’t witnessed many dropped points, but the manager wasn’t surprised by how well his side stood up to the league. leaders.
“We’ve got no-one to be afraid of,” he said. “We’re in the same league and we’ve got players who have played in League One and the Championship. We had control, people were playing well and you’ve got to make subs at the right time.The players on the pitch were doing well and the subs went on and did all right too. It was a good performance all round from everyone who played.
“Their keeper made some good saves as well,” he continued. “We had some chances and I don’t think we were ever under the cosh. I don’t think they ever got up a head of steam against us. We defended well and countered well. In the first half-hour of the second half we totally dominated the ball. We went into the front, back into midfield, got it out wide and got crosses into their box. It was a good performance against a good side.”
Corey Whitely’s wonderful strike put the Fleet in front before Salford hit back quickly, though there was an element of fortune about the way Danny Lloyd’s cross dropped for Rory Gaffney who managed to hit the target despite Nathan Ashmore’s initial save.
“It was a great ball in from Lloyd,” said McMahon, “And Gaffney and Rooney are terrific strikers. They’re a very good side but we created a number of chances ourselves to maybe go ahead again. I think it [the formation] suited us today, with the way Salford play. The players stuck to their tasks really well and tactically they were very good.”
And the manager’s last word was for the travelling fans who turned up in numbers once more for a long away trip and backed their players to the hilt.
“Our fans are terrific,” the Fleet boss enthused. “They follow us home and away really well, particularly away. We’ve had great support all over the country and long may it continue.”
