SUFFOLK manager Andy Gould believes his narrowly-defeated FA County Youth Cup finalists will bounce back as better players following their brave penalty shoot-out loss in Bradford.

SUFFOLK manager Andy Gould believes his narrowly-defeated FA County Youth Cup finalists will bounce back as better players following their brave penalty shoot-out loss in Bradford.

Gould said: “I often drum into them how you respond to setbacks and I am sure they will come back stronger from this experience.

“It's a dreadful way to lose a football match, especially one of this magnitude, but we win together and lose together and I consider it a privilege to have been associated with this group of players.

“Some of them have been with me for eight, nine or ten years and I regard many of them as my friends, so that is why it hurts so much.

“I can draw a lot of positives from this courageous performance though.”

Speaking on the game's key incidents, Gould said: “Even the neutral would say we were the better side and by quite some distance. I thought we should have had a penalty in the first half, but the referee declined and it's just one of those things.

“I thought Tom Jeal was the best player on the pitch to be honest and while Scott Chaplin is of diminutive stature he arguably has been the most technically gifted player in this competition.

“We are always looking to get the ball to him in the last third because he has got the ability to go past his man and do something special.

“His goal doesn't surprise anyone here because he has done it time and time again for us in training.

“Ryan Foster was also outstanding, he maybe 5ft 7in, but he wins a good 75 per cent of his aerial challenges and he hardly ever loses a 50/50 tackle on the floor. He has a big future, as do a lot of these lads.”

West Riding manager John Riordan was full of praise for Suffolk after the match. He said: “Suffolk are probably the best side we have played all year. Their little lad's goal would have graced any cup final and if I was their manager I would be feeling a little bit aggrieved because from where I was standing it looked like they should have had a penalty in the first half.

“I really congratulate the Suffolk team and hope this final was a good advert for youth football.”