The manager said “We’ve been the better team the last four games and the lads are running 20 percent further as a group than when I arrived.
“I’m taking 15 or 20 kilometres more as a group per game and I don’t like it when people say the lads aren’t trying because they are.
“They’re in a pressurised situation and sometimes, you miss your chances or the odd player has a bad game.
“My job this week was to restore confidence and I said to them before the game: ‘you’ve been the better team the last three games, your form’s good, keep it going’.
“I can only give them so much confidence. Sometimes, you need something to happen on the pitch for them to free flow and that was the early goal today.
“Today, the work-rate was still there the organisation we’ve had over the last few months was still there, and the boys are in a good place.
“I know last week (after a 1-0 loss to Exeter) we got a lot of criticism, a lot of boos.
“A lot of players came in for criticism last week. I’ve had a lot of heart-to-hearts with the players.
“As a manager, you do everything you can to help them bounce back.
“We’ve played Carlisle, Exeter and Stevenage on the verge of the play-offs, and we’ve been the better team by a comfortable margin.
“The consistency is there and the boys need a bit of praise for that.
“Nothing’s significant until May 4. I can keep saying the same things but we’ve got six games to go and we’re working really, really hard.
“We have the extra burden of the history of this club and the pressure. Let’s get behind them because these last four games have been magnificent.”