Cowan 'very happy' as Brackley grind out another crucial victory

George Carline's goal in first-half added time proved decisive as the Saints secured a 1-0 win at St James Park.

The victory pushed them up to second in Vanarama National League North, level on points with table-toppers Kidderminster Harriers with two matches left to play.

And Cowan said: "I'm really happy, a derby win.

"We’ve got a real big picture we've been working hard for and we're just trying to take each game as it comes. Apologies for the cliché, but it genuinely is all we're looking at now.

"We're not looking too far into the future so it's just important we performed here, which we did in the first half.

"It was always going to be difficult in the second half but we scored at a really great time and although we'd have liked to have kicked on a bit, it was a really professional performance in the second half.

"We were playing against a team that had lost one in eight, secured their place in the league, good footballing side, really well set out.

"It was one of them where people might think we're going to steamroll teams all day every day.

"I thought we were excellent and the only critique is that we could have been a bit more ruthless. We had plenty of chances and could have been three or four up.

"Going into the second half, it wasn't as pretty and the lads had to grind it out, which they did."

Brackley know that they will need help from elsewhere if they are to secure automatic promotion as Kidderminster have a far better goal difference.

But all Cowan and his players are focusing on is claiming victory in their next match, which comes at Leamington on Monday afternoon (kick-off 3pm).

"We've got Leamington to look at and there's a lot of belief in this changing room," Cowan said.

"We've got to control our controllables but we're really optimistic about our own performances and putting our best foot forward against Leamington.

"Then we'll take it from there."