Avro manager Alex Frost refused to be too downhearted by his side’s exit from the Manchester Premier Cup at the Vestacare Stadium on Wednesday night, after Glossop North End progressed to the semi-final with a 4-2 win on penalties once the tie had finished goalless after 90 minutes, writes Liam Bambridge.

Frost rested first-team regulars Jack Worrall and Michael Afuye and the midfield pairing of Max Davidson and Jack Morrow each played a half, but the home side still had the better of the opportunities against a side currently plying their trade one level higher in the Northern Premier Division One West.

“We are really pleased with our performance overall. We hate losing any football match so we’re clearly not happy with how this one ended, but there were still a lot of positives to take,” said Frost. “Glossop fielded a strong team tonight, they were clearly taking the match seriously, and yet we have had three or four really good chances to score while I feel like we limited them to very little.

“When you are having a good season in the league, you are always going to wonder how you would get on with the set of players that you have if they were playing in a higher league. Of course, it is a bit different because cup games are a one off, it is not like you are playing that standard of opposition week in, week out. But I was still very impressed with how well we dealt with that extra challenge on the night.”

Kane Wallwork stung the palms of visiting keeper Louis Hood on a couple of occasions in the opening20 minutes, and it took a superb goalline clearance by Glossop defender Ebow Coker to deny Ethan Sutcliffe the opening goal just before the interval.

Former Hyde United youngster, Tawab Dkankpata, impressed on his Avro debut, and he was next to come close to breaking the deadlock, Hood making a fine save low to his right to keep out a 20-yard effort.

Sutcliffe and Shaquille Lewys also had good chances to put their side in front, but ultimately the two teams could not be separated by the end of normal time, and with no extra time in the competition, it was the visitors who kept their nerve to edge through.

Next up for Frost’s men is a second-round Macron Cup tie tomorrow against Stockport Georgians, with the roles reversed and the visitors looking to cause an upset.

“They are having a very good first season in Division One South, and good luck to them - they have waited a long time for their opportunity,” said Frost. “They will come here with nothing to lose, and we have to make sure that we do not underestimate them.

“Of course, the league is our priority, but we want to win every game and I am sure the supporters will see that in our performance tomorrow.”