Not many managers can make it seem that their side have just lost, when instead they have won comfortably,[.I] writes Freddie Cardy at new Roker Park.[.I]

But that's how Stotfold boss Brett Donnelly felt after his side's underwhelming performance during their 3-1 win over bottom of the table Irchester United on Saturday afternoon.

It took Stotfold just 17 minutes to break the deadlock against the Northants opposition, with a dangerous corner flicked on and taking a touch off an Irchester defender to find the back of the net, in a game in which three goals were scored from corners.

The experience of Bobby Dance kept the Stotfold midfield ticking over in the first half, but there was not enough service for Stotfold's attacking players such as Codi Spavins.

Irchester managed to hold their own in the game before equalising directly from a corner six minutes before half time, adding to Donnelly's increasingly vocal frustration over his side's first half display.

In the second half the onus was fully on Stotfold to write some wrongs and grab three points, especially with Irchester forced into a change just before the break due to injury, using up their only substitute.

Donnelly introduced Kade Bagge and Mason Spence at half time before James Younger's tap in was ruled out for offside after an excellent counter attack, before Kade Bagge finally put Stotfold ahead after 76 minutes with a tidy finish, with Donnelly's substitutions paying dividends.

The lead was then doubled just before full time when this time around it was Stotold scoring directly from a corner, with Spavins rewarded for a good display.

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Second placed Winslow United dropped more points this afternoon after back to back defeats the title is Stotfold's to lose now, but Brett Donnelly believes that his side have plenty of work to do after an unconvincing display.

Speaking to Nub News, the Stotfold boss praised Irchester but lamented his own side: "Everything we told them to do they ignored, I don't think that there was one good performance out there that was worth mentioning - we were rubbish from minute one."

"Everything we've done was rubbish, everything we've done was wrong" don't seem to be the right lines for a manager speaking after a win that puts them six points clear, but these are the high standards that Brett and his coaching staff have set themselves, and the onus is now with the players to deliver.

"We've got a strong squad and we'll be fine, but the players have got to realise we're not playing these big games against Shefford and Winslow every week," was Brett's final thought, and it's safe to say that his players received these messages in a slightly different manner.