Getting our first win in so many games was a great feeling on Tuesday - especially as it came in front of the fans at home.

The seed of any challenge is always based upon your form at home so it was pleasing to make the most of our first game there and break that run.

Last year we started well at home but ended up going the entire time from early January to the end of the season without a win.

But we will now be looking to keep the advantage of our first win of the new season going on Saturday knowing that we have done it before, and with such a great sense of positivity about it, too.

There were negative channels in the dressing-room last season for one reason or another and that rubs off on to other people. Having said that, I have always been positive and it hasn't really affected me. If anything, it made me more determined to put things right.

It was good to see the way that people responded from Saturday and some of the new boys have come up to me and you sense that they are behind you.

Looking around the changing-room afterwards, you can see that it gave everyone a massive lift. This is the sort of result that we needed and the performance was really good as well.

I certainly don't think the losing mentality is in the minds of the new guys we've brought in.

Judging by their disappointment from Saturday's result, I can see they have got a winning attitude and they wanted to put things right as soon as possible.

The few lads who we have left from last season have also shown no signs of that losing mentality.

Darren Dunning had his best game in a long time on Tuesday and he proved he has certainly got a mental toughness. It did hurt him, that run at the end of last season, but he has bounced back and I am sure he will benefit from having a good calibre of player around him.

The more pleasing thing for myself was the performance.

It's not very often you play a game of football and everyone is on top of their game. There was nobody you could label as having a poor game.

There's always one or two who are carried a bit but on Tuesday, no-one stood out.

Chris Clarke recovered well because he had a difficult time on Saturday (at Aldershot) but he grew in stature and that was really good to see.

He's got a good mental approach and I don't feel that kind of bounce back would have happened if this had been a few months ago. Had we had a performance like Saturday's towards the end of last season, it would have snowballed on and it would have rubbed off on everyone else.

From what we have seen of life in the Conference so far, it is a good standard and the two games we have played have certainly been as a big a match-up as anybody we would have come up against last season.

Obviously, there were teams that did stand out in the Football League and they progressed accordingly.

This is not going to be an easy league to win. But I have enjoyed the two games so far. They have been good spectacles for the fans and they now know that there isn't the 'kick and rush' mentality associated with the Conference in times past.

Importantly, the players have come off the pitch having enjoyed both matches and as a footballer, that's what you want.

Updated: 11:16 Thursday, August 19, 2004