SHRIVENHAM put in a performance which former manager Dave Turner would have been proud of despite going down to a 2-1 defeat away at Wantage.

The men from Barrington Park were playing their first game since their former boss tragically died from heart complications on February 4. Steve Robertson’s goal had put Shrivvy minutes away from snatching a point off the side pushing for promotion until a late Wantage strike from 35-yards stole them back.

A minute’s applause was held before the contest in Turner’s memory and Sam Collier, who is in temporary charge along with assistant Mark Stevens, insisted the display Shrivenham put in was befitting of his friend and former boss.

“It was a relief to get a game on because we haven’t played for a while, although we have been able to train, but everyone’s in the same situation,” he said.

“Nobody thought we would be able to go there and get anything at all but we backed ourselves and went there with a slightly different system and it worked for at least 80 minutes until they scored the winner.

“We were 1-0 down within two minutes and when that happens away at a team at the top of the league you start to worry. But the lads were fantastic and we got back into the game and I thought we controlled it until half-time at least, although we didn’t take our chances.

“They didn’t create anything and we worked our socks off in defence and their wonder strike from 35 yards was the only way they could score. To come off the pitch disappointed from a game against a top side means there are positives.

“This was a game Dave would have loved because nobody had given us a hope and we went there and worked our socks off and gave a really good account of ourselves against a very good team.

“He would have been watching over us and would have been very proud of what we did.”

Turner’s funeral is being held today at Wroughton followed by a celebration of his life at Swindon Town FC’s Legends Lounge.