United's 20-year-old flying winger Johann Smith was as gutted as anyone about the end result of the Swansea game on Saturday, but it was hard for him not to smile when we quizzed him about his first ever goal in senior football.

He said: "Wow ... at first I was just thinking to myself - 'don't knock it over the bar or it could all get ugly' - but when I saw it hit the net all I was thinking was that we'd given ourselves a real chance to go on and win the game. I didn't even think about what it meant personally, because I just kept thinking that we were going to win. Unfortunately that wasn't to be."

United had got off to the worst possible start finding themselves a goal behind with just 45 seconds on the clock, and Johann admitted: "I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. We'd prepared so hard for the game that conceding a goal like that was a real blow. It made it very difficult for us, but to our credit in the second half we did come back and make a real game of it. It was very unfortunate for our defenders really, because they've been so good this season and played such a massive role in keeping us in games, or keeping big name players under control. That's why he's (Lee Trundle) such a good player though, we let him go once and it was in the back of the net."

"The Gaffer simply told us to get in gear at half time," he added. "We needed to get in to it 100% if we wanted to get in to the play-offs. We needed to be on it like we were at times against Bristol, dictating the game to them instead of allowing them to dictate to us. Obviously he wasn't too happy about the first half performance, but then neither were the lads, and we wanted to go out in the second half and show the fans that we wanted to be in the play-offs, and show them what we could do. I think the way we came back in the second half really showed the character of the side. We're not scared of any team, and we didn't go in to the game thinking we were going to lose. The lads always think we're going to win every game regardless, and I think that's why we've done as well as we have this season. We're a good side but we also have a fantastic team spirit as well."

And on his own performance he added: "I was just trying my hardest. I wanted to get into the play-offs so badly ... but it just wasn't to be. I did OK second half, I just wish we'd played better in the first half - maybe things would have been different."

On the fans, he told us: "The crowd was fantastic. They were absolutely fantastic, like a twelfth man. Without them it would have been so hard for us to come back and I really appreciated it, all the lads did. I love the way they chant USA, it was amazing. I couldn't get enough of it and I think I have to thank them personally for that. It was very special."

There was one moment in the second half, which we couldn't let go without mentioning, when Johann left the Swans for dead and found himself with the option of a shot or a lay off to the overlapping Chris Lumdon. He said: "I've taken some stick in the dressing room for that. I went for glory, but ... ahhhhh ... I saw the keeper coming off his line and tried to bend it round him with my left foot. I knew Lummy was there, and obviously with hindsight no-one has to tell me now that the pass was the better option, but I went for it. I could go over and over it, but it won't change it, and I just have to make sure that I have learned a lesson."

The winner that the visitors scored was controversial to say the least, and Johann explained: "I didn't actually see it to be honest. All I will say is that when you see people like Ziggy and Murph running to the referee like that, well, I mean, usually they've got total composure, total focus, and they don't do things like that. In this case they went ballistic, so I knew something was wrong. Like I say, I didn't see it, but I think their reaction told the story pretty much. It was a shame, but it's gone now so we've just got to get on with it. We're out of the play-offs but we'll still be giving it 100% at Scunthorpe, and we'll be trying to win the game. There will be a lot of our fans there who have already bought their tickets and it's not in the nature of our team to give it up. That's not how we are, and we won't be going there thinking the season is finished. It's not over for us and we'll be going there to try and win the game."

"This season has been great for me. I think I've matured so much as a person and as a footballer, and it's been a fantastic, fantastic experience. I mean, I'll take things from this season with me not just through next season, but for the rest of my life and, hopefully, go on to show a lot of people that I'm a good player."