Steelmen boss Attenborough happy with an ‘ugly’ Boxing Day success

The Steelmen fell behind to Josh Endall’s early goal and struggled to make an inroads until an under-hit back pass gave Rio Molyneaux the opportunity to equalise midway through the second half.

And they grabbed what proved to be the winner just six minutes later when Hilton Arthur headed home Curtis Burrows’ cross.

It was a welcome return to winning ways for Attenborough’s team as they moved to within three points of the Northern Premier League Midlands play-off places.

“The result was everything at this moment in time,” Attenborough said.

“Off the back of two defeats, we just needed to win the game and it didn’t really matter how we did it.

“We weren’t great in the first half after a three-week lay-off and we conceded early and gave ourselves an uphill battle.

“I said at half-time that we were too slow in the first half. We were playing it across the back far too slowly, there was no tempo to the game and we were letting them get into shape.

“We simplified it a bit at half-time, we went a bit more direct and I felt that if we scored early then we would go on to win.

“We didn’t score early but, in the end, we ground it out.

“It was a stop-start game, we struggled to get a rhythm but in the end, it was an ugly win and I am really pleased with it.

“Sometimes those ugly wins mean a bit more. You can go and score five or six and look like superstars but sometimes you have to dig in.

“This was one of those occasions and by hook or by crook, we came out with a win.”

The Steelmen play their first game of 2023 next Monday (January 2) when they make the short trip to Stamford.