SEEING his team get their first Bostik League win under him as manager was a huge boost for Witham Town boss Mark Ashford as he felt it would give his players a big psychological lift.
Having lost their opening game of the season against Grays Athletic, Witham gained an important three division north points when they twice came from behind to beat Barking 3-2 last weekend.

Johnny Ashman's stoppage-time strike gave Witham the victory they needed and the boss was delighted to get up and running "For every team, getting that first win early in the season is psychologically important," he said.

"It helps everyone in so many different ways at the football club.

"A point would have been a good one at a Barking side who were up there last season.
"It's a tough place to go, so to win there was very rewarding for the players.

"It was very important as it got the monkey of the first win off the players' backs and showed them that they can win games at this level.

"Getting the win by doing the things that we had been working on shows that by doing those things can win them games of football.

"There is huge scope for improvement still so to win against a team who will do well in this league this year and know that we still have room for growth shows the potential that is there."

Getting a late goal showed the spirit within the Witham squad, but it was the way that they responded to falling behind early that really impressed the Town manager.

Ashford added: "We conceded early again and that is something we need to work on as it happened against Grays as well.

"Perhaps it is having young players switching off at the start of a game as that can happen in a way that doesn't with more experienced players.

"It's all a big learning curve for them and they are finding out that you can get punished quickly at this level so we will work on that.

"But to have lost the first game after conceding early and then conceding after 58 seconds in the second league game, they could have been looking for excuses and fallen apart."We didn't though, and the players regrouped well and got ourselves back level.

"I thought we were more than holding our own in the middle part of the game, but were then suddenly on the back foot after we conceded again.

"However, fair play to the players as they didn't let heads go down.

"They did what we have asked them to do and they got their rewards."
SimonSpurgeon