Pinchbeck United manager Ian Dunn on his side's reprieve from possible relegation from the United Counties League Premier Division
Pinchbeck United boss Ian Dunn would have liked to have had the chance to win his side's relegation battle on the pitch rather than being reprieved by a Football Association decision.
The Knights were bottom of the United Counties League Premier Division table with 11 matches remaining when the coronavirus pandemic suspended all football.
With no matches possible in the past fortnight, Dunn's side were trailing second-from-bottom Sleaford Town by five points.
The Football Association then decided this week to end the majority of the non-league season immediately with all results expunged, leaving the campaign null and void and giving the Knghts the chance to stay in the Premier Division for another year.
Dunn said: "Of course we are pleased to be staying up, but football and any sport is secondary to the virus and people's lives at the moment.
"That had to be the primary concern and we can think about playing football again once we're all safe to do so.
"Obviously we're in a fortunate position to have been kept up, but I don't think it could have been done any other way.
"Ideally we would have liked to carry on at some point and be in a position to finish the season because that could have made things very different.
"We were on the verge of bringing a couple of older heads back into the squad and that might have made a difference.
"Our goals scored column is the one which stands out and it is something we have been trying to address.
"We have been pushing teams all the way in games recently, but we haven't been scoring goals from the chances we've created.
"We needed a bit of experience in our game management to see matches out. We have done alright, but needed that little bit more to hurt teams.
"It was something we were trying to address, but it's been taken out of our hands now.
"I do feel awful for the sides like Stamford and Peterborough Sports who were pushing to go up as well as Holbeach and Rothwell Corinthians in our league who both had cup finals to look forward to.
"It must be devastating for the likes of South Shields who were 12 points clear and on their way to the National League North, but it's an impossible situation.
"You can't relegate teams when there are still 10 or 11 games of the season remaining which would have happened to us if it had been done on points-per-game basis.
"Things can change so quickly in non-league football. Teams can bring lads in later in the season to strengthen while some of the mid-table sides who are safe might not be as strong as they were earlier on so we could easily have picked up a few points quite quickly."
The unexpected early ending to the season will give Dunn time to 're-set and re-charge' after a tough campaign.
After back-to-back title triumphs, the Knights finished in a superb fourth place in their maiden Premier Division campaign last term.
However, this season has been a complete contrast with Pinchbeck collecting just six points from 27 league games.
Dunn added: "This has probably given me the break that I needed.
"I've thought about my position two or three times this season, especially after you've got home at midnight after an away defeat in a midweek match.
"It can become a chore because it's such hard work so I need this break and will then come back refreshed whenever the new season starts.
"It's obviously great fun every week when you're doing well and it's brilliant to be part of, but this season has been really draining both mentally and physically.
"It's a chance to re-set, re-charge and have a bit of a break before we get ready to go again."