Martin Paterson praised first among equals Jodi Jones for the man-of-the-match display that inspired Notts County to a 3-0 victory over Salford in the League Two play-off final.
Jones scored the clinching third having set up Alassana Jatta for the opening goal, and played a big part in the second as well, which was scored just before half-time by Lucas Ness.
County head coach Paterson said: “Jodi has got that individual quality of goals and nutmegs – he’s a magician and a flair player. I hope he enjoys the man-of-the-match performance and I hope he enjoys it with his family and team-mates.
“Because what people don’t see is the work others do for him to shine – and that’s just as important to me.
“I’m absolutely delighted for the football club, the owners and the players for the most complete performance they have put together this year. In all facets of the game they were excellent.”
Paterson had been an underwhelming hire as head coach last summer in the eyes of many County fans given that his only previous managerial experience had been a short spell with Burton.
A Magpies Wembley following of more than 20,000 returned to Nottinghamshire with few complaints but Paterson insisted the experience had left him drained.
He said: “I’m going to enjoy it with my family because people don’t see what we go through – and I’m only a young head coach. This is my first full year and I’m emotionally tired.
“Questions always get asked in this industry because it’s the opium of the people – everyone loves football. So I used it as fuel.”
Salford had a decent chance to make it 2-1 early in the second half that Kallum Cesay could not take but manager Karl Robinson conceded that his players had failed to rise to the occasion on the big stage.
He said: “We got beaten in every area. It was a most unlike Salford performance that I have seen all season. We have to take this on the chin because it’s our own undoing.
“The game was played in the most incredible heat and that might be the only excuse I get, to clutch straws at the weather, because I can’t use any other aspect of the game.
“I’m not going to use that as a reason why we didn’t get anything out of the game. We were just not great in all areas.”
Robinson is also a fan of Jones, who played under him at Oxford.
“I was the one who pushed him to Notts County – that’s the disappointing thing for me. I sent him there on loan.
“We let him get into the game and once you do that he flows and it is hard to play against him.”
