STOURBRIDGE FC boss Gary Hackett has heaped praise on his side after they picked up a vital four points in their bid to stay in the BGB Premier Division.

The Glassboys now find themselves seven points above the relegation zone folllowing a 4-1 home win over Mangotsfield United on Saturday and a hard-earned 2-2 draw at Hitchin Town on Tuesday evening.

The manager was delighted with the way the players responded to the harsh criticism they received for a disappointing defeat at Banbury last Tuesday. Hackett said: “It has been a good couple of days for us because every point is vital.

“We’ve picked up four vital points but we can’t let up.

“We have bounced back extremely well from the disappointing showing at Banbury.

“The Hitchin game was a real scrap against a much-improved side but we stuck to our task and battered away in the second half with Shane Benjamin getting an important goal for us.”

Hackett was also looking forward to a run of home fixtures after a long-list of road-trips.

He added: “I don’t think people realise that out of our last 15 league fixtures we have been away on 10 occasions.

“Due to the current economic difficulties this causes clubs like us a lot of selection problems.

“For instance against Hitchin we were without James Dyson, Linden Dovey, Les Hines, Calum Martin and James Winsper due to work commitments.”

The return of goalscoring midfield machine Leon Broadhurst has also been a big boost to Hackett in the last two clashes.

Broadhurst netted a hat-trick against Mangostfield and one against Hitchin to take his league tally to 11.

The influential midfielder had been missing in recent weeks due to a knee injury but Hackett was delighted to have him back.

The manager said: “He’s got that natural knack of getting in the box at the right time as four goals in the last two games show.

“I keep telling him how I wished I would have had that knack when I was playing.”

The Glassboys have two home games in three days starting with the visit of Tiverton Town on Saturday (3pm kick-off).

They will then welcome Swindon Supermarine to the War Memorial on Monday evening (7.45pm kick-off).

Skipper Craig Slater should return following a lower back problem as well as the five players who missed the Hitchin game due to work commitments.

The homes games are set to come too soon for centre half Nathan Bennett who is set to be missing for another week with a hamstring injury.