Lower Breck manager Gary Moore has praised his side following their win over West Didsbury and Chorlton.
Jawad Jebrin scored an important treble, days after scoring five for Business Houses side Pineapple, as Lower Breck became the first team to win at Brookburn Road since March 2020.
Jamie Menagh was also on the scoresheet as the Breck ended a run of three straight defeats to move up to 10th.
Speaking to Off The Park, Moore feels the magnitude of the victory can’t be undermined. He said: “Before that, three defeats in a week, you’re going there and I was saying to Mikey [Richards] on the way home ‘did you think we were going to win and perform like that?’ And he was honest and said no.
“You’re hoping that you get a reaction, we trust lads in that dressing room and that team on paper look great but it’s everything that’s gone on before the game, you can’t underestimate how big of a win it was.
“It was a good first-half, they was prodding and probing, we had loads of moments in the final third but in the final third, that last ball. It was a great team-talk at half-time as honest as it comes, you get a little bit deflated when lads pass balls around but we said what we were doing was good, we just had to be tighter in certain areas, can we go out and step it up a level? Do a little bit more dirty work but make sure the final ball was spot on.
“Within three-minutes, we done that and then they scored, the reaction to them scoring is unbelievable. You can’t say it was soft goal because it was a strike from 25 yards out, it’s a great strike, we didn’t press it and Theo [Roberts] knew he was a little bit too high off his line but the reaction to that was unbelievable, first-class.”
Jebrin scored five in Pineapple’s Premier Cup win over AFC Bull and continued his vein of form for the Breck.
Following a number of departures within the ranks at Anfield Sports, he has fired his way into the starting line-up and Moore couldn’t hide his delight for the attacker.
“I had a talk with him, listen JJ, he’s right to be disappointed he’s been in and out the team,” he continued.
“He’ll admit his performances haven’t been great but he’s a lad who tries and gives you his all week in, week out, he’s a lad who if he’s not playing too well, he beats himself up a little bit too much because he wants to perform, give his best.
“He’s got to realise he can’t do that all the time but I’ve got to take a little bit of flak because I’ve had him in and had him out. I spoke to him at half-time on Saturday, he come off the bench at 3-0 and there were a couple of honest conversations with him and I said it’s time for you to show us what you’re really about now and he answered that on Saturday – he ran, he ran for us on a tough.
“On Tuesday, he was outstanding, his doubling up, his tracking back, for a lad so slight he’s not afraid to throw a shoulder in one someone, he’s doing everything.
“The most important thing is he done it in the final third, an hat-trick away from home, on a night where everything is against us, it’s an outstanding performance. He’s a lovely, honest lad and to see him perform like that was class, a great moment.”
Saturday saw Lower Breck handed their third defeat in a week, and their worst of the run, as Longridge Town ran out 5-1 winners.
Following the devastating defeat, Breck were forced to hold a club meeting to extinguish their concerns and as a result, players departed the club.
Describing the aftermath of their defeat, Moore revealed: “We’re an honest bunch, probably a little bit too honest. We had a big chat in the changing room on Saturday, it’s not about the defeat, we’ve been to Longridge before and got beat by an outstanding side – one of the best sides that have played in non-league and I think I’m on record saying it at the time.
“The manner of that defeat on Saturday, it doesn’t sit well with the club, supporters, there’s people asking questions. We had to come away and look at ourselves, are we the right people to take this club forward? Is this the right dressing room to take the club forward? Are we doing the right things?
“We slept on it, had a club meeting and we sent a lot of messages out outlining what we’re going to do moving forward. We asked questions of the players, can you do this for the club? Is this what you’re here for? Does winning games come before anything else? We got a response but players have chose to leave, good luck to everyone of them.”
This weekend, they travel to Northwich Victoria who are looking to go within two points of the top two.
Vics have already beaten the Breck this season when they ran out 2-0 winners in August.
Moore hopes his side can take confidence from their midweek triumph as they look to continue to take positive steps.
He said: “They’re a good side, a passionate manager, wants to get the best out of them. When we played them a couple of weeks ago, it was a good game of football but a little error turned the game.
“We were beaten 2-0 but it was one of those, it was an honest defeat, you have to take that. If we perform how we did [against West Didsbury & Chorlton], we can beat any side, that’s what we’ve said to these lads.
“Going into Saturday, we’re having tight defeats 1-0, 2-1, you’re in a football match, when you’re getting beat 5-1 that’s totally different. If we perform to the level we’ve got, we can beat any team in this league but everyone says the same, it’s a mad league.
“We’ve just beaten a team that haven’t been beaten at home since March 2020 so if we don’t take confidence from that, we need a different job.
“We’ll be right up for it, selection-wise we’ve got a couple of issues, see what’s available, injuries – a few went down with cramp, a special mention to Alfie Cowen, he hasn’t had much game time, Connor Rankin coming in from Maghull, who we thank by the way, unbelievable performance in the nine for us. Fingers crossed we’ve got a good squad and we’ll give it our all again.”
