Keith Hill hailed Tranmere Rovers’ “great spirit” as they came back from losing positions twice to win 3-2 away at Carlisle United on Tuesday night.
James Vaughan struck late on, when he met David Nugent’s pullback to earn Rovers all three points at Brunton Park.
Hill’s men had previously levelled through Kaiyne Woolery and Vaughan's first of his double, either side of goals from Josh Kayode and Nick Anderton.
But TRFC’s endeavour saw Vaughan beat goalkeeper Paul Farman from close-range to move up to fifth in Sky Bet League Two, which delighted the boss.
Hill said: “We showed great spirit. There was a lot of skill on display, there was a lot of footballing skill, and a lot of determination and desire under difficult conditions against an excellent side, so we are really pleased, and we are not getting carried away.
“We are really pleased with the result, and more importantly for me, the performance in and out of the possession against a very difficult opponent and I thought that the lads were magnificent.
“The lads stood up to that pressure, and it is very difficult because we have seen a number of teams come here and fold against a good Carlisle side in the first 20 minutes, so for us to go a goal behind and show that determination to bounce back twice.
“We defended resolutely against a difficult opponent and we respect the opponent and the way they play. They have got excellent skill in forward areas of the pitch but I felt that we managed it as well as we could.
“Carlisle put you under that psychological pressure, so we are really pleased.
“I felt that we looked a continual threat in difficult conditions in swirling winds and we dealt with it. For us to go a goal behind and claw it back, and to go another goal behind and claw it back again, the second half was very difficult, and they put us under a lot of pressure, but we withstood that pressure and got a wonderful goal.
“I felt that there was some excellent play, it was a real group, a real squad effort and that includes the players that aren’t with us.
“It is testament to the desire and to play in those conditions and come out with a victory.
“I’m really pleased but we can’t get too high. We have to respond well and recover so that we can go again on Saturday.
“We defended superbly, front to back, side to side, and we were brilliant under extreme weather conditions, but we always had that threat on the counter-attack with the pace and the presence of who we have got in the team.”
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