Gainsborough Trinity manager full of praise for striker Declan Howe

With six in four for Gainsborough, hitman Declan Howe, took his season’s tally to 16 in 25 since arriving from league rivals Ilkeston Town, in late September.

His well taken brace on Saturday followed hot on the heels of another double.

The turnaround in form since New Years Day, has been nothing short of superb, with Trinity at the right end of the form table.

“Without his goals we would almost certainly be in a relegation battle,” said Wilcox.

"He is on fire at the moment and playing really well, he deserves all the accolades he is getting. His goals have taken us up the league."

Wilcox was also quick to praise his side’s desire.

“They are grafting for each other and that’s the starting point and the non-negotiable.

“The game isn’t complicated, it’s overcoached these days in my opinion.

“It’s about working hard and togetherness, they are grafting for each other and doing the basics well.

"If you do all the fundamentals right 9 times out of 10 you win.”

Howe himself was quick to praise the effort of the whole team.

“The attitude and togetherness of the team, coupled with the lads’ work-rate are going a long way to us getting the results on the pitch,” he said.

"It’s all feeling natural at the moment, and with the goals going in for me – I am on cloud nine.

“Pre-Christmas, we went through a bit of a bad phase, when I was walking off the pitch, not even having had a chance in a game. Now, I am getting three or four chances a game.

"As a striker, that is all you can ask for. Then it’s down to you to do your job and put the ball in the back of the net, and luckily I am doing that at the moment.

“Next season, with a couple of new additions, the ambition certainly has to be the minimum of a push for promotion.”