WHAT a difference a victory makes!

After all the frustration surrounding our run of eight matches without success it was great to get back to winning ways with a 1-0 Nationwide League Division Three triumph at Macclesfield Town on Sunday.

Obviously, when you find yourselves going through a lean spell heads can quite easily start to drop.

But now we've got a spring back in our step and the players can't wait for our next tough challenge -- an intriguing clash against local rivals Cheltenham Town.

Supply

Victory, of course, breeds confidence and I'm sure we won't be in short supply of that when Cheltenham visit us here at Aggborough on Saturday.

I said before the Macclesfield game that we could have worked all week to have picked up a 0-0 draw on Sunday, but that wasn't going to be good enough, particularly after our disappointing 2-0 home defeat against my old club Swansea City.

We needed a win -- and thanks to Colin Larkin's first half strike that's exactly what we got.

I was delighted with the way he took his goal and though, in truth, he had three or four easier chances I was still pleased he was getting into the right positions.

He's a young lad and as his confidence grows I'm sure his finishing will improve.

Colin's month's loan spell with us is up after the Cheltenham game, but I'm currently looking into the possibility of extending that further.

I think what he gives us is his goal threat and that's what we are missing a little bit.

When things are dropping in the box he's never too far away.

He puts defenders and goalkeepers under enormous pressure because of his pace which on Sunday got him two good chances.

His awareness got him another two opportunities, from which he scored once.

Sunday's match, to be honest, was a bit of a battle and it wasn't particularly pretty, but I was delighted we were at last able to open our victory account on opposition territory.

Before the game we asked everybody for 100 per cent effort and nobody can deny that is exactly what we got.

This Saturday, of course, we will be aiming for more of the same.

It's going to be another stiff task for us, but it's one that we are looking forward to.

It's always nice to put one over your local rivals and, obviously, Saturday is going to be no exception.

We should be in for a bigger than usual crowd and a good atmosphere, so the players are looking for plenty of loud vocal support. You'd be surprised how much it lifts them.

The matches, of course, are coming thick and fast now and next Tuesday we launch our LDV Vans Trophy campaign with a first round trip to Doncaster Rovers who are currently well up in the Nationwide Conference.

It should be another interesting experience for us. Let's hope we can make progress and get a bit of a cup run going.

JAN MOLBY was talking to reporter CHRIS OLDNALL