United stretched their unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions against Doncaster on Saturday afternoon with a confident performance that could easily have yielded more than the three goals scored.
“It’s probably the most complete performance we’ve had,” manager Paul Simpson said. “Nine games unbeaten is good to have, and it gives everybody a really good feeling when you perform like that.
“I’ve talked a long time about wanting a Saturday afternoon where it’s not really, really stressful. That’s as close as I’m going to get to that, I think.
“I still got a bit wound up and got a bit excitable at times but the way the players have gone about it, they have something to build on.
“They made it happen. Tomas with his save, then if you’re looking at the perfect scenario of when to score goals, those timings for the first two are ideal. That gave us a real base to build on.
“We know Doncaster are good, but they’re struggling at the moment. We’ve taken them to the cleaners and done the job really well.”
“And we could have got more goals,” he added. “It would have been nice for Ryan to finish it off with a fourth. If he’d scored that would have been a reward for the work he did through the 90 minutes.
“He had a spell where he was a lone striker and then he had Jack Stretton beside him. I thought he worked tirelessly and I’m so pleased for him that he’s back. He deserved a goal but sadly he’s going to have to wait another week.
“My biggest thing I’m pleased about is the professionalism that they all showed us. Jack Ellis showed that he’d got himself up to speed and ready for the opportunity, because he was probably wondering if it would come for him again a few weeks ago.
“Jordan Gibson was on it, and I’m his biggest fan but he gets some almighty grief off me. I’m also his biggest critic. He showed a real desire and he got two assists because of the way he always wants to be involved.
“It’s a really happy dressing room, and not just the boys who played. You walk in and Dev is there greeting everybody and Fin Back, Joel Senior and Tobi Sho-Silva are doing the same. We’ve got a whole host of players who aren’t playing but they’re there anyway with huge smiles on their faces.”
Some of the biggest grins were in the stands and on the terraces.
“I said this the other day, since I came in at the end of February, the fans have been absolutely first class,” he commented. “There’s a really positive feeling about the place.
“Before the game we had Aqua Pura in one of the lounges, so I went up to present a shirt, and a pair of shorts, which they’re sponsoring. The reception I got was absolutely brilliant.
“I want it to carry on. I hope in three years’ time, or however long I’ve got left on my contract, I hope they’re still doing it. That’s what my aim, I want to be here for as long as possible, which would mean we’re doing things properly and we’re getting results on the pitch.
“As long as they all stay with us, if the crowds keep going up it might mean I get some money in January to be able to get even more strength to the group.
“The fans were so positive, on a horrible rainy day as well. The heavens opened before the game, thankfully the sun came out, and hopefully they will come back again next weekend.”
A man not renowned for hanging his hat on records, he once again brushed aside the comment that it’s now the best unbeaten run for some six seasons.
“It’s brilliant for everybody,” he told us. “I say again that you can go all the way back to February, and for a start it’s brilliant for the directors for making a decision to change the manager and bring me back in, when I know there was a lot of negative stuff about me when I left donkey’s years ago.
“Credit to the recruitment that’s gone on in the summer, and credit to the directors again for finding that little bit more money to get that extra player in to give us a bit more depth in the squad.
“Now we’ve just got to keep it going because records are there to be broken. But from our point of view they’re there to be made even better, and we have an opportunity to do that.
“We’re in a run of five games, with Doncaster being the first, which I think will let us know where we are at the moment. Next it’s Barrow in a local derby, Orient at home, Stockport away, and Tranmere away.
“These will give us a real indication of where we really are and deserve to be. At that point, if we’re still in a good position, we’ll deserve to be there because we’re coming up against some good sides.”
“What we hope is that they treat the next four in the same way as they did against Doncaster,” he concluded. “When you get your nose in front you have to go for the jugular, and that’s what we did.
“We kept going, didn’t let up, kept going for the second and third goals, it would have been a right reward if we’d got the fourth.
“We have to keep playing in that really positive way because that’s the best way to play in my opinion.”