Peterborough Sports have set a standard they must maintain for eight more matches

That that the view of manager Michael Gash even though his side remained deep in relegation trouble ahead of the visit to PIMS Park of mid-table Marine on Tuesday (see page 75 for outcome).

Second-half goals from Max Booth and Luca Miller delivered a first win in 10 games for Sports and the first three-point return since Gash returned as manager.

“The most important thing was the three points,” Gash said. “But we need that game in, game out at the moment. Other teams around us might just need to pick up points, but we have to win.

“You know what’s coming when you go to Alfreton. They like to make it a fight and a battle. but we were ready. We have so much talent in the dressing room that if we can match the fight and endeavour of other teams we can win matches at this level. We had two chances in this game and scored them both.

"Two pieces of quality won us the game, but I also saw very talented players doing the ugly side of the game and doing it well. Everyone to a man was fantastic. We set up in a very positive formation because of our situation and we had a game-plan. It wasn’t pretty at times, but we stuck to it.

"A point would have been much better for them than for us and they hurled balls into our penalty area towards the end, but we coped despite lacking some height.

"Every game we have left is now vital, but especially the ones against the teams around us in the table. We need to take more of a risk and play on the front foot a bit more. I will take responsibility for that, but it’s clear we have to getting points on the board to have any chance.”

Sports rode their luck at times at Alfreton with the hosts hitting the woodwork in the first-half.

But Sports started the second half strongly and were rewarded by a breakthrough goal on 47 minutes as Anthony Stewart’s high ball forward was brought down well by Booth who beat his defender before perfectly guiding the ball into the bottom left hand corner.

The hosts responded as former Sports loanee Bayley McCann, the son of former Posh boss Grant McCann, drilled an effort towards the far post, but visiting ‘keeper Peter Crook made a fine low save.

Alfreton searched hard for an equaliser, but Sports secured the three points deep into stoppage time as Elliott Whitehouse and Marcel Oakley combined well on the right before feeding Miller who smashed it into the top right corner from a tight angle.

It was top scorer Miller’s 12th goal of an excellent season.

Sports host play-off chasing Darlington at PIMS Park on Saturday (3pm kick off).