NEW College manager Rob Hopkins believes that his side can take plenty of positives out of their 3-1 defeat at Shortwood United.

Kevin Slack fired the hosts into the lead at Meadowbank before Joe Hiscock buried Callum Shewry’s cross to level matters for the young side.

However, despite the numerous chances Hopkins’ side had, Shortwood sealed the points in the second-half through Nick Humphries and a soft Craig Mills penalty.

The win moves the Gloucestershire side up to second place in Hellenic Division One West ahead of Fairford Town, whose had their trip to Old Woodstock Town postponed.

“Despite the result I was really pleased with the performance,” insisted Hopkins. “I thought that the result wasn’t a fair reflection of how we played and we deserved at least a point.

“I suppose if I am being hyper-critical then maybe we should have had the game done and dusted by half-time and been three-up.

“The penalty was very soft as well. There manager said that too, if referees are going to be giving penalties like that then there are going to giving 20 a match.

“But the game just shows how we are developing as a team.”

As the campaign moves into the final two months, Hopkins is hoping that New College can replicate the Shortwood performance.

Sitting in 11th place in Division One West and with several games in hand on most of the teams above them in table, the New College boss feels that they will get their rewards if they can keep going like this.

“It was a good all-round team performance,” Hopkins said. “It shows just how the players have developed, not just from this season, but last year too.

“We gave the man-of-the-match award to Josh Croucher as he had a solid game in the centre of defence.

“He’s only 18/19 and he growing all the time and he is going to be a really good player.

“But if we can play like that for the remaining 11 games of the season then we will get more points than we will lose.

“So although I’m disappointed with the result, I can’t be disappointed with the performance.”

Malmesbury Victoria’s trip to Hook Norton was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.