Loughborough Students hand out finishing lesson to halt Selston’s run

It followed a blistering 5-0 away win at bottom club Holbeach United last Saturday and manager Karl Steed said: “Three-nil at Loughborough was not a reflection of the game or the first half and I feel quite positive after it.

“The lads were still upbeat at half-time, despite being 3-0 down which was a positive in itself.

“They had a soft penalty, a goal that took a massive deflection over the keeper which he could do nothing about, and one from a free kick that wasn't a free kick.

“The most frustrating thing for the lads on the day was the decisions against them.

"We just couldn't seem to get anywhere near them without being blown up for a foul. They were going down to ground quite easy.

“Loughborough are a good, young, fit side who probably train every day.

"Their set-up is unbelievable. They have all the facilities there of a professional outfit.”

Steed added: “It just shows how far we've come over recent weeks to have that mindset at 3-0 down and still believe we have a chance of getting something from the game.

“Second half we hit the post 10 minutes in so things could have been different as that would have lifted our tails and we might have been able to kick on.

“We had a couple more chances through the second half.

“From our perspective if that game had been six weeks ago we could have lost it six or seven-nil.

"We are still turning the corner and believe we can still points up by being competitive against the majority of teams in the league.

“They are top four and you can see why. But we didn't disgrace ourselves at all. “Coming off the Saturday game into a Tuesday game against a much fitter outfit, tired legs did tell about the 70-minute mark. But the lads kept going.

“It just showed how much work you've got to do when you're playing Saturday/Tuesday.”

On Saturday's confidence-boosting win at Holbeach, which saw braces for Jay Cooper and Jordan Black as well as one for Ollie Grimshaw make it back-to-back away victories, Steed said: “It was a fantastic result.

“The game plan was to not concede and anything else would be a bonus, whether 1-0 or 0-0. To win 5-0 – and it could have been eight – was fantastic. “We played well in patches, though probably not throughout the whole game.

“It was a very different game to what we'd played in the previous three with the way we set up as we didn't need to defend very much.

“We dictated and dominated and we were clinical in front of goal. It was a massive three points for us and, with the other results, it lifted us another place in the table which now looks better. It put a bit more distance between us and the sides below us.

“We have no game this Saturday so the lads can have a rest and we can take stock after that as we prepare to face Gresley, which will be another tough one.”