Striker Adam Boyes acknowledged that Hednesford Town fully deserved Saturday’s 2-0 win at Nethermoor but backed the Lions to bounce back and secure a play-off place.

A Liam Dickinson own-goal and Adam Thomas’ second-half strike sealed the points for Hednesford as Mark Bower’s men struggled to find top gear and slipped to sixth as a result.

And Boyes was in no doubt as to the fairness of the result, telling Shummell Uddin: “I think we looked tired to be fair, none of us were at the races and probably deserved to lose the game.

“They were a physical side and I don’t think we handled it as well as we usually would. The effects of Tuesday took over a bit so we will just have to look forward to Saturday and the game with Boston now.

“The aim is the play-offs, obviously if we won the league it would be a bonus but we’ve been in the play-offs for the last few years and I’m sure we will be in it again this year.

“Boston beat us [5-1] away, so we need to bounce back and make sure we beat them, it should be a good game.”

Defender Danny Ellis also felt the Lions were deservedly beaten, telling Tom Feaheny: “We never really started the game, we played into their hands, their first goal is a deflection and then you just feel like it may not be your day, and it was just a very frustrating day for all of us.

“The crosses and throws they had put to us was tough, we knew that was a strength of theirs before the game, it is a really effective weapon they have and it was hard to deal with at times.

“Goals change games, if we had scored then you never know it might have been a different game, but when we really tried to get a goal they countered, made it two nil and then it is even more difficult for the lads.

“We owe Boston one  now, everyone knows what happened down at their place and this game coming up means we can all stick together and use this result and the one against Boston as a springboard going into it.”