MANAGER Carl Heeley was delighted for his players after Worcester City ended their eight-match winless streak.

And he believes their 5-3 win over Alfreton on Tuesday night will give them the “belief” to kick on in Vanarama National League North.

In an entertaining game at the Victoria Ground, Sam Smith opened the scoring on five minutes before Lee Hughes and Junior English gave City a 2-1 advantage at half-time.

Tom Allan headed in the equaliser, but Colby Bishop bagged a quick-fire double and Hughes netted his second to take an unassailable lead before Liam Hearn scored at the death.

“I am delighted for the players because I know how much they want to do well and how much they want to win,” Heeley said.

“It isn’t for the want of trying that we have taken so long to win, but it gives them the belief they needed and hopefully takes the pressure off them.

“In the last five or ten minutes, you could see they were keeping it, passing it and doing the right things and that comes with confidence and belief.

“So it is a good step forward, we're glad to get our first win and hopefully we can keep building on it now.”

With the scores level at 2-2, the turning point came when Heeley brought Bishop on in place of the experienced Steven Craig.

The young striker made an immediate impact as he scored twice in three minutes to put Worcester in control.

And Heeley praised the reaction of the 19-year-old, who has increased his goal tally to four, after being dropped to the bench.

“He didn’t have the best of games (against Gainsborough Trinity) on Saturday so we thought we would give Steve a start,” he said.

“But that’s the reaction you want from players who you have left on the bench so they can come on and do that.

“You can’t ask anymore and credit to the lad as he was brilliant.”

Heeley said he was “not happy” with the goals his side conceded, but he insisted the three points were “all that mattered”.

“Defensively we have been sloppy all season, but if you look at Alfreton they made us defend as they put balls into great areas,” added Heeley, whose side travel to Bradford Park Avenue on Saturday (3pm).

“But our defensive record is better than Alfreton’s and although that is irrelevant we are not the only team giving sloppy goals away.

“The positives were that when you have started like we have as long as you score more than you concede you win the game and that was all that mattered.”