Prescot Cables manager Kevin Lynch has hailed his side after they beat fellow-strugglers Colne.
Sam O’Halleron came back to haunt his former side and made his presence known within three minutes as a training ground routine came to fruition.
They were hard-pressed in the second half and loanee Jed Ward was called into action to make a good save with a host of last-ditch defensive blocks to keep the hosts out.
In a bizarre turn of events, a passback went all the way in much to Cables‘ delight. The win took them ahead of their beaten opponents and out of the relegation zone but Colne’s win over Widnes saw them return to third from bottom – although they look safe from relegation on points per game, for the time being.
The tough tasks continue for the Pesky Bulls and a trip to Ramsbottom United is up next as four points and two points separate the two.
“We’ve got the right players at the moment, right mentality, when the going is getting tough they seem to be able to dig in better,” Lynch lauded, speaking to Off The Park. “It was a massive psychological win and performance. Where they was and where we was, it shows we’re ready for the fight.
“We’ve worked a lot in training now in terms of our finishing in terms of our previous two just wasn’t there. We worked on a lot in training and it paid off when Harry put a great cross in and Sam tucked it away.
“That was pleasing to see, the work is paying off. How we dug in, the conditions, the pitch I’ve never seen a slope we bad as that, to come through that as well, was tough.
“In football, sometimes you get your own bit of luck. It would be nice to say yes [it is a turning point] but we’ve got a massive game coming up. I hope that little bit of luck does continue, in football it does kick you where it hurts – you’ve just got to roll with the punches really.
“The target was [against Colne] they’re above us in the league, we know there’s games in hand, it’s just knocking them off and Ramsbottom will be no different. They’re above us, it’s a chance to potentially draw everyone closer, they won’t be easy.
“We’ve got to dig in, they’re fighting for their lives as well, we’ve got to take each game as it comes and chalk it off. We’ve got to focus on ourselves whether Colne beat Widnes, we can’t do nothing and have to focus on ourselves.”
Ward completed his month at Cables and made his planned return to parent club Bristol Rovers. But the Pesky Bulls saw their defensive ranks a man light after Macclesfield – who are on the verge of North West Counties success – recalled Louis Shead. Lynch explained: “Ian Kearns has been around non-league, vastly experienced.
“He was struggling with a bit of a knock but he’s come through everything, we’ve got experience, got a few irons in the fire with centre halves whether they’ll be available for Saturday we’ll see.
“We’ll be alright, it is a blow because Macclesfield told us [he can stay] until the end of the season and to come in when they’ve already won the league when we’re in this, no one gives you a foot up in this game, you’ve got to get your foot up and work on your own. That’s what we’ll do as a team.”
[Featured image: Stanley Kostrzewski]
