Grant McCann insisted there will be no getting carried away after Rovers collected their first league win of the season.
Rovers shook off being pegged back late in the game at Forest Green Rovers to secure the victory in added time through Ben Close’s cross-shot.
McCann was typically level-headed in the aftermath but welcomed a ‘step on the ladder’ for his side and was hopeful the win could prove to be a turning point in results terms.
“It’s a first three points and I’m not getting overexcited about it by any stretch of the imagination,” McCann said. “But it’s nice to feel that winning feeling.
“I’m hoping it sparks us now. It’s a step on the ladder. We want to be climbing that ladder as much as we can. And referencing that to the league, we want to be climbing this league as much as we can over the coming months. That’s a step today to take.
“It wasn’t our best performance in possession today but the grit and determination to win the game was there to see.”
McCann oversaw a shift in focus in training through the week and felt the work at Cantley Park paid dividends at the Bolt New Lawn.
“The week’s training has been good, as I mentioned before the game,” he said.
“The intensity that they trained at, the competitive edge that we put onto training and also trying to create the winning feeling and mentality shift, we did that this week.
“If there were things that we didn’t like, we made them run and it was more to see who was going to break or who was thinking ‘I don’t fancy doing that.’ It was more about playing with their heads a little bit mentally.
“And I’ve seen it in this game. I saw togetherness, I saw the boys not wanting to concede, not letting boys inside. Kyle McAllister is a good player and we kept him on his right foot as much as we could.
“I’m pleased with the lads.”
McCann said the lift the win has provided the players has been particularly timely following the blow of suffering further injuries prior to the game.
Ian Lawlor picked up a groin injury on Friday while Kyle Hurst is struggling with a thigh problem.
“It put a bit of a darkener on the mood in the group on Friday morning, two players walking in before we’ve even started training,” he said.
“You could feel it. The mood was dampened a bit. It’s frustrating for us and I don’t want to stand and talk about it. It’s a frustrating time for me, the staff, the physios because they’re all working so hard and some of these things we can’t control.
“I’m pleased for the boys because they can enjoy the trip back down the road and look forward to the next one.”
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