A 2-1 win over West Bridgford lifted the Wrens out of the relegation places above both the visitors and troubled Borrowash Victoria.
And while it was an unfamiliar looking line up for the home fans, most of the new players had come with Saxby from Blidworth, so it was not as if it was a side of strangers.
Indeed Saxby found room in the 16 for just four of the previous Rainworth squad - two of those on the bench - and it was heartening for the purring home fans to see their new side put in a comparatively good display to come from 1-0 down at the break and take the points, with the icing on the cake a late blockbuster from Jonathan Drake.
Saxby, though, was guarded after the match. Pleased with the victory, yes, but disappointed by the performance as he saw it.
"It's a good feeling to win your first game in charge and gain the first home points of the season for the club," he said, "but it was a bit disappointing in terms of the performance - we can do so much better than that.
"We lacked a bit of quality in the final third, but given the situation that the club was in, it was important to put points on the board.
"I have high standards, these lads have high standards. But the wind was horrible in the first half and I hoped we could get away with 0-0 at half time. We got it back in the second half and Jonathan Drake's wonder goal was worthy of winning a match at the top level, so we kick on from there."
With no midweek game Rainworth are at home to Teversal next weekend. The Tevie Boys dumped Rainworth out of the FA Vase at the first hurdle 3-0 at the Tomlin Personnel Stadium, but will find a very different home side this time around.
Looking forward to the fixture, Saxby said: "I know quite a bit about them. I know a lot of their lads and I've seen them a couple of times this season already. They are also coming into the game on the back of a win to relieve a bit of the pressure on them.
"But we are not frightened of anyone, there's no-one in this league that we need to be terrified of. We get a bit of quality back into our play, pass the ball around a bit better, and we will be OK.
"We've got captain Adie Harris coming back this week. He's been in decent form so he will give us another threat in the final third.
"We need to go for nine points from these three successive home games These were the first home points of the season, but we've got to make this place into a fortress, and make teams nervous about coming here.
"No-one watching against West Bridgford will have thought it was pretty but if we start picking up points at home we will get where we need to be."
Meanwhile, with Saxby and so many of his players having come in from neighbours Blidworth, there is also a move in the opposite direction, for Wrens player Scott Rogers has been appointed as Saxby's successor there. Rogers goes with the club's best wishes, and it would not be a surprise to see some of the former squad also making the mile long journey over Warsop Lane.
He will have a daunting start though, an FA Vase tie at Midland League Shepshed Dynamo.
Updated 10:05 - 30 Aug 2019 by Gordon Foster