Burgess' relief as Diamonds secure first win of the season

Diamonds had failed to win any of their first seven league matches but finally got it right at the eighth attempt as they claimed a 2-1 success at Barwell to lift themselves off the foot of the table.

Goals from Northampton Town loanee Miguel Ngwa and captain Nathan Hicks put Burgess’ side 2-0 up but they were forced to hang on late in the game after Brady Hickey pulled one back for the hosts with 13 minutes to go.

However, they saw things out to secure that much-needed victory and relieve some of the pressure that had been building on Burgess.

“I am absolutely delighted, it’s probably more a sense of relief than anything,” the Diamonds boss said.

“It’s been a tough few months and we’ve been to some dark places but it was a massive game and a hugely important win.

“The lads worked their socks off, we rode our luck at times but with the work-rate and application we put in, we just about deserved the three points.

“It was a fear for me that when things aren’t going well, it’s easy for players to hide behind it and not give everything.

“When you have been on the sort of run we’ve been on, that big long list of excuses is quite easy to bring out.

“But, to a man in this game, we worked our socks off. We had three lads who came off injured and those who went on gave everything.

“It just felt like a good group effort where everybody mucked in and everybody put a shift in.”

Diamonds return to Hayden Road on Tuesday night when they take on third-placed Coalville Town.