Daisy Hill scored four against AFC Blackpool for the second time in six days to earn victory in the North West Counties First Division North on Saturday.
The Cutters let a two-goal lead slip but managed to steady the course and score two more to win 4-2, leaving manager Nicky Hunt very pleased with the result.
“It’s a great away win,” said Hunt. “They (AFC Blackpool) don’t get beaten at home very often, they’re a good side at home, and it was a really pleasing performance overall today.
“They had a 15-minute spell in the second half, which made us look shaky, and with Harry Forshaw being sin binned, we were always going to be under a bit of pressure.
“Obviously you’ve got the penalty decision, we can talk about that until I’m blue in the face, but it is what it is. The ref’s got it wrong, it’s just one of those things, so you move on.
“But credit to the lads and their game management. They took on board what we said before the game, and again at half time, and they performed it to a team today.
“The AFC Blackpool keeper was outstanding today. He has made three or four outstanding saves to keep it at four goals, and we could have been eight if it hadn’t been for him.
“The amount of chances we create is astronomical at times and we haven’t got a problem scoring goals, but we also have got a big problem conceding goals.
“No teams are carving us open, no teams are getting no great goals against us where you think, ‘Oh, fair play to him, you can’t do anything about that’. It’s always come from our problems and we need to rectify that and rectify it really quickly,
“But ultimately it’s pleasing. It’s six points in six days, and now we go again on Wednesday at Garstang and it could become nine points in 10 days, and that would be a fantastic return.
“We need the games to be on to keep that momentum up and I think we’re just quietly, quietly building something here.
“Whether it’s going to be enough at the end of the season, who knows, but we’re confident in what we can do.
“We’ve got 11 games to go, and probably need to win eight or nine at least to get into the play-offs. It’s going to be a tough ask, it is for any team in any league to go and get eight wins on the bounce. But we’ve put ourselves in great stead by winning two on the bounce and we need to keep that form going on Wednesday.”
Daisy started the match in the ascendancy and eventually put themselves ahead 14 minutes into the match.
Max Bardsley-Rowe raced in behind but saw his shot parried to Liam Sheppard who was in the right place to tap home.
The Cutters put themselves two ahead only six minutes later as the duo reversed roles. Sheppard raced through and took aim at James Whittingham, but he could only parry his shot to Bardsley-Rowe who tapped the rebound home.
The Mechs reduced the deficit only three minutes later as a free-kick was not dealt with in the box allowing Aaron Smith to poke home.
Bardsley-Rowe was denied his second as his one-on-one effort was saved by Whittingham on 33 minutes.
Daisy grew into the second half and Sheppard nearly scored a wonder strike as he allowed the ball to drop over his shoulder and unleash a left-footed volley that Whittingham somehow managed to tip wide of the far post.
AFC Blackpool finally got back on level terms when a very dubious penalty was awarded for handball resulting in a Harry Forshaw sin-bin. James Hughes stepped up and sent Jude Smith the wrong way to score for the Mechs.
With 15 minutes to go in the match Alessio Ruocco raced down the right and cut the ball back to Sheppard who fired, via a deflection, into the roof of the net to put the Cutters back ahead.
Eight minutes later Dean Singleton put the match and result to bed as he scored a diving header after the ball was cleared off the line two times in quick succession.
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