Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver said his side’s resilience enabled them to win a “war of attrition” with Carlisle United.
The Sulphurites boss said it was a “glorious moment” when they scored in the 95th minute to win 1-0.
It came at the end of a gruelling spectacle but Weaver said character won the day for his team.
“It’s a massive, massive result for us,” said Weaver.
“We knew it would be a tight encounter. They [Carlisle] are fighting for their lives, we’re in a dogfight and know what’s at stake.
“And when the stakes are really high like that, we knew it would be a war of attrition.
“We had to stay in it, grind away at it and it was about not making errors, defending well, and fortunately we had one last chance to win it – by hook or by crook it went in ,and it was a glorious moment for us.”
While the result deepened United’s relegation worries – the Blues are now six points from safety with 11 games left – Harrogate moved 11 points clear of the drop zone in 20th place.
Weaver said it was never likely to be an open game, given what was at stake for both clubs, but was delighted his side stayed with the contest in order to grab the all-important goal.
“We felt we might have a chance fall our way if people kept battling,” he added in " target="_blank" class="link"> a club interview.
United captain Sam Lavelle is disconsolate at the final whistle at the Exercise Stadium (Image: Richard Parkes)
“We talk about the trust in the players to be relentless and sometimes you get your rewards for pure attitude.
“We knew, because of where Carlisle are in the table and where we are as well, the points difference…we’d still value the point. It was important not to go gung-ho and box clever.
“Neither team particularly wanted it to be an open game. But minds get tired later on and there may be a few mistakes creeping in.
“We didn’t want to be the team to succumb to that. Both teams showed honest endeavour and I’m delighted our lads got their rewards from just being resilient and fighting all the way.
“Maybe it wasn’t a game for the purist but everyone on our team, including the fans, played their part and got that feeling of jubilation in the changing room.”
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