"We don't make things easy for ourselves but what an exciting watch we are," says McGrath after Town's FA Cup win

Town raced into a 3-0 lead thanks to two goals from Conor Carty and one from Max Bardell, with the game looking as good as over before South Shields launched a second-half fightback.

"I thought we'd solved the puzzle of starting really bright and blowing teams away because our second-half performances of late have been brilliant, but we just let them back into the game," McGrath said.

"But let's look at that first-half, we were magnificent first-half, absolutely magnificent.

"Because of how we play, if we step off it at all then we are going to get punished and South Shields are a good side, they've got good players, players I believe could play higher.

"But if you'd said to me at 1.15pm, 'John, you're going to get into the next round by winning 3-2, then I'd take it'."

On his team's impressive first-half display, McGrath said: "I just loved how fluid we were, we set ourselves up in a really high press, which worked to a tee and then once we regained possession, everybody was on the front foot.

"Once everybody's singing from the same hymn sheet, it all goes well.

"Second-half, we came off it slightly, which as a group, we can't do because we set ourselves such high standards.

"The FA Cup is a bit of a leveller, but for the majority I thought we were really good.

"Let's not take anything away for their lad for the second goal, I don't think he'll ever hit a better strike.

"If you've paid to watch that game, you've been treated to some fantastic goals and two teams going at each other and playihg football the correct way."

On whether he could see South Shields' fightback coming, McGrath said: "No, not at all. From us as staff, there was nothing lax about what we wanted to do, it was just reaffirming that the game wasn't done and dusted.

"They're a good side, good players, got good finishers in the team.

"But there was no panic from me, it's a game of football, it's 90 minutes long, even when they threw caution to the wind I thought we defended well.

"We don't make things easy for ourselves but what an exciting watch we are.

On two-goal striker Carty, the Town boss said: "I thought he was brilliant, really good.

"Because we stepped off second-half, our distances were too far to get up to him, Cruz dropped a bit deeper to get the ball and there was no link in midfield, so it was a bit of a thankless task second-half because he was wrestling two centre-halves.

"But two great finishes, don't underestimate the header, that was a fantastic finish, and the second one is something we've been working on in training, not to lash at it, just guide it into the bottom corner. A beautiful finish."

When asked about the absence of Owen Bray from the matchday squad, McGrath said: "We had Dylan, Owen, Theo out of the squad, and Zak still coming back from injury, so they were the four that missed out."