Talented Harrogate Railway stopper Tom Goodwin receives backing from boss after costly mistakes

Scouts from League One side Bradford City were understood to be watching the 19-year-old against Scarborough but he looked shaky in his handling of crosses.

Ashforth will keep his young gun between the sticks for Saturday’s highly anticipated FA Cup preliminary tie against Spennymoor Town at Station View (3pm).

The boss, a former goalkeeper himself, added: “He has made a few mistakes, he knows that.

“I think I spent 90 per cent of my career being where he is at the moment. He will be finding it difficult but he has to get back up on the bike and get going again.

“He’s a fantastic keeper. I have no doubts that he will do well. There’s no thought process at all that he won’t be in the side on Saturday or anything daft like that. Probably because it would mean I would have to play.

“I know exactly where it is and it’s not a nice place to be. You end up being nervous with everything, the back passes and all that, especially with the crowd giving you stick behind the goal.

“He needs to put it to bed and go again on Saturday. He was fantastic when he played at Spennymoor away and I would like to think he could do the same again.”

A 3-1 defeat at Brighouse meant Railway were handed their first loss of the season on Saturday. Ryan Sharrocks opened the scoring before Ernest Boafo’s hat-trick claimed all three points.