Anthony Limbrick reacts to what Hartlepool United fans did after Boston win
Hartlepool United head coach Anthony Limbrick was delighted with the response of the Pools fans following Saturday's big win over a resurgent Boston.
Pools ended a run of eight games without a victory thanks to a 4-1 demolition of a Pilgrims side who arrived at the Prestige Group Stadium having won five away games in a row. Despite what the form guide suggested it was the hosts, who had shown one or two good signs during improved performances against Eastleigh and Solihull Moors, who dominated the contest, winning on home turf for the first time since New Year's Day thanks to goals from Gary Madine, Mani Dieseruvwe, his 14th of the season, Reyes Cleary and Jamie Miley.
It's been a difficult start to life in the Pools hotseat for Limbrick, who has won just two of his first 10 games since replacing Lennie Lawrence at the beginning of last month. Despite the misconception that Limbrick's appointment derailed a play-off challenge that was building momentum, Pools failed to win any of their last four games under the veteran Lawrence and were struggling to adapt following injuries to influential attackers Joe Grey and Anthony Mancini. To make matters more complicated, the Australian has had to deal with a host of questions regarding concerns over the future of the club following the sudden resignation of chairman Raj Singh; while Limbrick has been determined to focus on the football, Singh's shock decision to step down has dominated many of the conversations over the last fortnight.
Limbrick was at long last able to breathe a sigh of relief following Saturday's thumping win. First and foremost, the result moved Pools up to 13th in the National League table and 10 points clear of the relegation zone; although the unfortunate Boreham Wood went down last term with 52 points, growing fears that Pools could be dragged into a relegation dogfight have all but evaporated.
Limbrick will also have been well aware of the increasing pressure on his shoulders. Although it's not quite clear who he needs to convince - Singh, new owners or the anonymous interim board - the former Woking boss needs a strong end to the season if he's to make sure he's the man to lead the team next season. Both the result and the manner of the performance at the weekend will have significantly furthered his own cause.
The reaction of the almost 4,000 Pools fans inside the Prestige Group Stadium - throughout the game and at full-time - was telling. Under previous regimes, particularly that of the divisive Darren Sarll, responses to good results have been indifferent. After Pools came from two goals down to beat Sutton 4-3 in October, there was still considerable criticism aimed at Sarll, while the outspoken former boss caused a storm when he alleged that he had been the victim of "unacceptable levels of personal abuse" during the game.
The feeling towards Limbrick is altogether different. Although many fans have questioned his decisions in recent weeks, few have challenged his character or his desire to achieve the best results for the football club. Rightly or wrongly, Sarll's sometimes abrasive manner meant it didn't take him long to lose the backing of the fanbase, particularly after he referred to some as "clever Dicks" following a defeat at Forest Green Rovers, the fourth game in a row Pools had lost without scoring. Limbrick's charisma, sincerity and likability seem to have secured him a bit more leeway from most fans.
There were rapturous scenes at full-time at the weekend, with Mani Dieseruvwe and Garu Madine directing Limbrick towards the North West Corner to lead a Dave Challinor-esque celebration. While a return to the halcyon days of the former promotion-winning manager's memorable tenure seem a long way off, Limbrick's developing relationship with the fanbase will stand him in good stead if he wants to buck a depressing trend of recent failures in the dugout and bring the good times back to the Prestige Group Stadium.
"I must admit I thought Mani always did that, so I wasn't 100 per cent sure what was going on as far as I was concerned," he told BBC Radio Tees Sport.
"I hadn't even really thought about it, I was just so concentrated on the game, thinking about how to win and what to do.
"It was a nice moment and the scenes were great at the end. I was so pleased to see everyone so happy."