BOSS Steve Cuss admitted his Wimborne Town side had given him a tense and anxious experience but voiced his relief at FA Trophy progress.
A double from Mark Gamble was enough to see Magpies progress to the third qualifying round thanks a 2-1 home victory over Division One Central Northwood.
A 78th-minute goal from substitute Dave Lawrence ensured a nervous finale but Wimborne held out, leaving Cuss both relieved and delighted.
Cuss told the Daily Echo: “It was a tense afternoon. We weren’t at our fluent best but as we’ve shown in recent weeks, we were prepared to dig in and make it difficult for the opposition.
“I thought we did that well, particularly in the first half, when they had a little bit more of the possession. We defended well and again we needed Jason to make a couple of saves, which he did.
“I thought there would be opportunities for us going forward if we moved the ball better. We did that at the start of the second half and there were four good chances for us to take a two-goal lead, which we didn’t take.
“When the two-goal lead came, we didn’t hold on to it for long enough and it caused an anxious last 15 minutes. But fair play to the boys, they saw it through without Northwood creating a big chance.
“I’ve got to give credit to all the players. We put a real shift in, closed down well in the second half and dug deep, which got us past the winning post.
“I’m just so pleased for the football club. To win six games in a row and reach the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy is a reward for all the people that work so hard for the club.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here