Keith Hill celebrated his first match as manager of Tranmere Rovers with a 1-0 win over Carlisle United in Sky Bet League Two.
Corey Blackett-Taylor scored the game’s only goal early in the second-half, with the visitors unable to issue a response in a closely-contested affair.
The 51-year-old named an unchanged side from Saturday’s 5-0 victory versus Grimsby Town and saw his faith repaid as Rovers earned a fourth consecutive league triumph.
Providing his assessment of the Whites’ win, Hill said: “I’ve watched the last five games prior to this and today we won a different way. There was a lot of character, some good football and a great goal to win any game. We won with character and that will stand us in good stead as you need that spirit and courage.
“It was a great goal and I thought the diagonal pass from Clarkey was superb. We’re a possession-based side but, tonight, we had to win a different way. The goal itself is a contender to win any football match, it was a special goal. The team spirit was reflected in the celebration: the staff have been superb in supporting me since I’ve been here and long may it continue.
He continued: “It was fiercely competitive and a physical game, in comparison to Saturday’s. It showed how productive we can be in that type of game as well. We’ve come up against a team who are fierce in their physical presence, fierce in the way they put you under pressure, but we played through it at times and conjured up an unbelievable goal. The players know they have won a different way and to win the two games over the weekend and today shows how deep the squad is at dealing with the opposition.”
Delighted with many aspects of Tranmere’s display, Rovers’ new boss now hopes to carry forward the current run of form being built by the side.
“We’re in good form and we’ve got to continue the momentum. We’ve got to thrive off the confidence, self-belief and buy-in that the players have had,” expressed Hill.
“There will be bumps and different problems that the opposition pose and we’ve got to deal with it. Our ambition is to compete in the higher echelons of this league and I think we’re capable of doing it with the squad depth we’ve got. It’s as good as it gets at this moment in time, but we’ve got to make sure we continue our good performance levels as they bring results.
“Because the players are experienced, the way that they communicate with the rest of the team is outstanding. We’ve got people out on the pitch who are very good at communicating and straight through the spine we’re very, very strong.”