ATHERSLEY Rec ended a ten-match winless run in Division One with an epic 4-3 victory at Selby Town and believe they are taking advantage of opponents thinking they will be easy to beat.
Sam Thompson’s brace put Rec 2-0 up early but Selby came back to lead 3-2.
Matt Thornton levelled in the 86th minute and Khalid Suleiman won it in the 88th.
Rec had taken two points from their previous ten league games since August, with new manager Paul Clarkson enjoying his first league win.
He said: “Selby had won the last four games at home and expected it to be five out of five.
“We came out of the traps and dominated, went 2-0 up.
“It should have been three or four.
“Then there was a break during the game for an injury and they came back into it and they deserved to take the lead.
“I made some changes, stuck a big lad up top at 3-2 down and changed formation.
“We got the win and it’s a great feeling when you score two goals so late.
“We took a lot of togetherness and belief.
“It’s alright me telling the players they can do it, but they know they can now.
“Every goal-scorer was a new player who I have brought in in the last month or so.
“Khalid plays for my Sunday League team and he’s been a great signing for Rec so far.
“It was good to see him get the winning goal.”
Clarkson believes Rec are being underestimated by the opponents due to their lowly position in the league.
The manager said: “We’re flying under the radar.
“People are just looking at the league table and thinking ‘these won’t be any good’.
“They are not even coming to scout us.
“Then they get pretty shocked when they see how we play.
“It’s great for us.”
Rec are fourth-bottom with 12 points from 16 games – eight points clear of the bottom three.
“It’s nice to have a gap to the bottom three with games in hand and all the bottom three to play.
“But we’re not looking down, we’re looking up.
“We’ll take it one game at a time but we think we can get a lot higher in the table this season.
“Good things are going on throughout the club.
“It’s a really positive place to be at the moment.”
Rec then were due to play at home to high-flying Retford United on Tuesday but the match was called off following rain.
Meanwhile, Worsbrough Bridge lost 4-1 at Horbury Town.
Harley Holt pulled one back at 3-0 for Bridge who are 16th with 21 points from 18 games.
Wombwell Town lost 2-0 at Wakefield.
The hosts scored either side of half-time.
Town saw their lead at the top cut to two points with those below them having games in hand.
Penistone Church’s game at Barton Town in the Premier Division was called off.
Church are now in tenth place with 21 points from 15 games, five points off the play-off places.
