STEVE Davis has praised his men after they stopped the rot with a first win in eight attempts, against Trafford on Saturday.

The Dabbers player-manager claims he has always been confident in his team in spite of the recent run of poor results. Braces from Matt Blake and Paul Santus saw off their seventh-placed opponents.

Now he wants them to repay his faith further with another victory, over basement boys Great Harwood this weekend.

Davis said: 'The lads played very well on Saturday. I think they have been doing fine for a while, but the results have suffered because of poor defending as a team.

'This time we took our chances and kept them out much better. Matt Blake now has four goals in three, and is proving a real handful with sharp, attacking play. He looks a real asset.

'And Santus looked back to what we know he can do. His second goal was especially pleasing. Those two look good together, but it was a whole team performance. Adam Newton was outstanding in midfield.

'We will be expected to win against Great Harwood, and that is what I want. But they will still be scrapping and will make it difficult, so we will have to be on our game.'

Davis has recently spoken of adding more experience to his ranks, but the win over Trafford may have put those plans on hold.

He added: 'I am always looking for players better than the ones I've got.

'But I want to give our young lads every opportunity to do well. That is what this club is about. We still need competition for places, but I think the players we have here are starting to believe in themselves.'

Davis himself and central defensive partner Matt Bradbury were outstanding at Jackson Avenue, and provided a platform which saw the Dabbers make the breakthrough on 12 minutes.

Blake laid the ball off for Neil O'Brien. His lofted ball was looped over the advancing keeper, Martin Campbell, by Santus's flick header.

Trafford almost equalised straight away when Colin Bulwich's bullet header bounced off the Nantwich bar, before town's Paul Rutter flashed a shot across the face of the goal. Blake hit the bar before teammate Richard Pullar cleared the ball off the goalline just before the break.

The woodwork was hit again by Rutter after the restart, but just before the hour mark Santus made it 2-0 with an accurate shot from 15 yards.

On 76 minutes, Melvyn Morrison shot from the left and Campbell could only parry, allowing Blake to thump a strike through a ruck of players.

The former Crewe Alex trainee grabbed his second on 89 minutes, after cracking home the rebound when Melvyn Daniels saw his shot saved.

The visitors grabbed a consolation on 90 minutes. Reade saved Graham Vaughan's penalty, but the assistant referee ruled that

he moved early and the striker made no mistake with his second attempt. nFormer Nantwich Town winger Simon Hackney has been snapped up by Conference side Carlisle United

for a nominal fee from Woodley Sports. nNantwich Town Reserves had a 3-0 success at Curzon Ashton Reserves. They entertain Maine Road Reserves on Saturday.