TAUNTON Town manager Leigh Robinson expressed his delight with the way his team responded to going behind against favourites Concord Rangers, as the Peacocks won 3-2 to make the first round proper of the Buildbase FA Trophy.

He said: "It was a hell of a cup tie, wasn't it? Certainly a good game to watch for the decent crowd that was here, and I'm delighted.

"To put FA Cup first round and FA Trophy first round together, two years in a row, is a fantastic achievement - last year we put the club on the map, and we've done it again.

"I'm delighted for the players and the people who run the club."

After Matt Wright put the hosts ahead, Steve Cawley and Harry Lee struck to give Concord the lead, but goals from Ross Staley and Matt Buse - the latter's effort squirming out of goalkeeper Louis Wells' grasp - put the Peacocks in dreamland.

Robinson added: "Especially in cup football, goals change games, and their second goal spurred us into life, because we were desperate to avoid a replay!

"At that point we had to gamble and go for it, and we got a bit of luck with the mistake from the goalkeeper.

"That's cup football - if those moments of luck go your way, then you get the rewards."

He also praised Lloyd Irish, who was named as man of the match after a fine display which saw him save Cawley's penalty and make a series of stops in the second half as Concord pressed forward.

"The penalty save's gone a bit forgotten because it was so early in the game, but he was fantastic," said Robinson.

"We know we can rely on him in big moments.

"We saw in the FA Cup last year that if you're to beat these sides, your goalkeeper has to be at his best as Lloyd was, and he's done it again today."

The FA Trophy first round is set to take place on Saturday, December 16, meaning that the league game at Mangotsfield United will need to be postponed.

The Peacocks have already played two or three fewer games than their nearest rivals in the league due to cup matches - although they were helped by Bristol Manor Farm (third) and Salisbury (fourth) taking points off each other by drawing 1-1.

Robinson added: "To be honest, it's not ideal fixture-wise.

"We said before the game that it was a free swing because if we win, we get some prize money and into the next round, and even if we'd lost today, we'd already ticked the cup box and it would be time to get on with the league.

"But I'm not going to complain about being in the next round, the extra finances and everything that comes with it.

"We just need to make sure the lads look after themselves, because the fixtures are piling up a little bit, but we think we have the professionalism in the squad to deal with that."