Grantham Town beat Stocksbridge Park Steels in the Northern Premier League East Division
The Gingerbreads recorded their first three-point haul of the season in a tough battle with a determined Stocksbridge side on Tuesday night.
Five new faces were on show for the Gingerbreads after the FA Cup disappointment of the weekend as manager Paul Rawden made the changes he threatened, writes Graham Cowell.
Eli Christie arrived from Ilkeston Town along with Osakpolor Solomon who has been released by Nottingham Forest.
Stamford duo Brad Munns and Billy Bennett were brought in on dual registration along with Anthony Dwyer from Alfreton.
Rawden said: "Stocksbridge gave us a hell of a game out there.
"We had to work hard for it, but I think we deserved the win."
The new look Gingerbreads were sprightly from the off.
Both sides challenged hard in the opening minutes and the tone of the game was set with referee Mr Mason a busy man.
The two teams created openings early in the game, but neither could make the most of them.
For the visitors, Luke Rawson headed at Curtis Hall and Lewis MacAskill hit a low cross that just evaded the Stocksbridge front line.
Gregg Smith headed over the crossbar and Rodrigo Goncalves put the ball in the net for Grantham, only to see an offside flag raised.
Dwyer and Munns also had chances that only found Stocksbridge goalkeeper Ben Townsend.
The visitors seemed to weather the Grantham storm as play moved from end to end and got some control of the game.
Rawson managed to get the wrong side of Christie on 22 minutes but the Grantham player recovered well enough to hold up the striker who dragged his shot wide of the post.
A minute later, team roles were reversed as Dwyer was sent through for Grantham, but Townsend just got there first for the visitors.
The visitors created two good chances either side of the half hour mark.
Thomas Poole delivered a low cross that came off Rawson and was gathered by Hall.
Stocksbridge delivered a dangerous corner on 31 minutes and Charlie Oglesby powered a header goalward, but Hall made a great save to keep the ball out. The Grantham goalkeeper recovered quickly to block the follow-up from Mitch Langton as well.
Eight minutes before the break, Grantham took the lead from a corner of their own.
Billy Bennett had won the flag kick when his cross was headed behind by the Stocksbridge defence. From the corner, Smith’s header was blocked on the line, but Sam Muggleton followed up to force the ball home.
The Gingerbreads put themselves under pressure early in the second half as they gave the ball away a number of times in important positions, allowing Stocksbridge to get into good attacking areas.
Twice around the hour point, Stocksbridge will think they should have levelled the game.
Hall had to make a point blank save to keep Grantham in front as the visitors pushed for the equaliser.
The home goalkeeper kept the visitors out again a minute later when MacAskill almost got on the end of a long clearance from Townsend.
Akeel Francis doubled the Gingerbreads' lead on 67 minutes as Elliott Walker was put in on the right-hand side and he played a perfect near post cross for Francis to turn the ball past Townsend.
Stocksbridge came right back at Grantham with Christie again doing enough to keep them out.
Ross Goodwin turned the Grantham defence, but Christie tackled back, and the ball rolled wide of the Grantham post.
With 15 minutes left, the intensity in the game picked up again.
Jack Watson injected pace into the visitors' attacks and hit a shot that was deflected comfortably for Hall.
Grantham went straight up the other end and Francis, Dwyer and Ethan Boyang all had efforts blocked as Stocksbridge threw themselves into challenges.
A nervy end to the game for Grantham was set up when Stocksbridge pulled a goal back on 76 minutes.
The visitors broke quickly and Rawson beat the Gingerbreads offside trap. He left the defence behind him and slotted the ball past Hall.
Grantham struggled to hold onto the ball for the remainder of the game.
Although they gave it away easily, Stocksbridge could not make the most of their possession, nor the eight added minutes at the end of the game.
Rawson almost made the most of Grantham giving him the ball in the second minute of added time.
He played in Ify Ofeogbu in, but Hall once again denied Stocksbridge before the goalkeeper ensured Grantham took all three points with two more good saves as time ran out for the visitors.
Grantham: Hall, Walker, Solomon, Muggleton (Tessler), Christie, Bennett, Munns, Bojang, Smith (Francis), Dwyer, Goncalves. Subs not used: Gadomski, Bahrey, Robbomond. Attendance: 227.
Grantham now face a Bank Holiday double-header as they visit Brighouse on Saturday before hosting Belper Town on Monday (3pm).