Manager Courtney Belford said his Hinckley side’s 5-4 win at Hucknall Town was typical of how his team’s matches have been recently.
AFC were 3-0 up at half time and then 4-1 up at Watnall Road before a Craig Westcarr-inspired comeback hauled the home side level.
It was left to Ryan Harkin to win it for Hinckley late on but Belford said it should never have got to that close a stage.
And he called on his side to do more to stop other teams creating as many good chances. He said: “We said whoever defends better wins the game but they were two poor defensive and goalkeeping performances. Whenever either side was put under pressure, they’ve caved in.
“But three goals in 13 minutes, we’ve got to be better at grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck. Conceding becomes a habit, and you don’t want to get into the habit of having to score four of five to win a match. Two should be enough, three really should be enough.
“At half time we should see that game out. The second half wasn’t good enough but it’s three points at this stage of the season.
“It’s a fine balance because the performance was disappointing but the result is paramount.”
He also wanted to strike a balance to reflect on the positives of the first half. His team were three goals to the good at the break and restricted Hucknall’s chances, meaning Matt Hill didn’t have a save to make until after the break.
He called that display the best “for a long time” before the break.
“The first half was so positive. The way everyone went about their business was superb. You think you’ve turned a corner and we didn’t defend our box again.
“The old adage of ‘if you don’t put your body on the line, you don’t win football matches’ but Ryan Harkin got us off the hook.
“Football is about winning and at the end of the day we’ve come here and got three points. But the way in which you do things defines us and we’ve got a lot of work to do to be a threat in the play-offs. They’ve not given in which is a massive positive, but we’ve got to be better as a group.”
He praised Harkin’s “relentless” finishing ability for his second half double that earned the win. And the manager was also pleased with the way his side adapted to a bumpy pitch and blustery conditions, saying they had to be more direct than they normally would be.
He admitted doubting whether his side would go on to win the game after surrendering their lead, but praised the team’s character to wrestle the win back.
“You find out more about people under pressure, us as managers, we ask if we’re picking the right team or making the right substitutions. And the lads as well.
It’s a learning curve for us but we’ve got to learn fast ahead of next week.”
“If we have to outscore teams, that’s the remit – strap in and see what happens, it’ll be a rollercoaster!”
