Boro boss Jono Greening relieved to return to winning ways at Stortford

Fin Barnes sent Lewis Maloney’s first-minute cross crashing into the back of the net to break Boro’s goal drought but by contrast in the 77th minute Will Thornton sent a similar effort on to the roof of the net, writes Steve Penny.

On the hour mark Colchester loanee Harry Beadle only had to let the ball hit him to score for the hosts but somehow managed to stab it wide from barely two yards.

In recent weeks, those quirks of fate would all have gone against the men in red but this time fortune was on their side as Greening admitted.

He said: “Hopefully our luck has now changed and we will get the rub of the green going into our last five games and we’ll be alright.

"Football is all about fine margins. If their chance had gone in it might have changed the game.

"Sometimes the ball drops for you in the box, sometimes it doesn’t.

“We’ve had that little bit of bad luck over the last few weeks but all we had to do, as I’ve been saying constantly, is keep knocking on the door and it will come.

“I don’t look at the form table but I know people were saying before the game that it’s the two bottom teams and it’s got 0-0 written all over it.

“You’re always pleased when you get an early goal because that settles the nerves a little bit, especially so after our form recently.

“I’ve always believed that the players are capable of winning games and scoring goals. This team could beat anybody on their day, if they turn up, and today we definitely turned up and had loads of chances.

“In the first half we had five or six really clear-cut chances and the same again in the second half.

"We could easily have had 10 goals. That’s the only disappointing thing for me, that we haven’t scored more goals but I’ll take the 2-0, the three points and the clean sheet and move on to the next game against Warrington on Friday and then at King’s Lynn on Easter Monday.”

Greening was delighted with the performance of Barnes on his return to the team for a second loan spell from York and also the return of Frank Mulhern from injury.

“Fin’s performance was excellent,” said Greening, “He looks after the ball really well. He’s got a really good football brain and gets into good areas.

“Having Frank back in the team is a real good strength. He’s so powerful and brings people into play. He’s a handful for any centre-half in this league."

“The overall performance though was excellent. We lost Greeny through illness so we had to change the team around a little bit.

“We looked strong at the back and it was a complete performance but, like I’ve just said to the boys, the hardest things in football is doing it week in, week out.

"We now have to do that and grind out some wins and, hopefully, get us in the play-offs because that’s all we’re striving for.”