LUKE GODDARD is refusing to let defeat to Litherland Remy get him down.

It signalled the end of their 13-match unbeaten run stretching back three months, but the manager said: “As I mentioned pre-match, it was just another game to pick up three points.

"No-one got a medal after that game and as a group we will stick to what we’ve been doing the past few months to get back to winning ways, hopefully starting on Saturday.

"Losing hasn’t been a habit here so you can sense the disappointment in the whole ground, never mind just the players.

"However, we need to remind ourselves the position we were in at November time and what this latest run of form has done to put us in a strong position to challenge for automatic promotion.

"The players deserve great credit for that.

"I’m personally very happy with our position with 15 games to go.”

Goddard loves statistics and had highlighted a weakness in Remy where almost 50 per cent of the goals they had conceded had come in the latter stages of matches.

The 27-year-old spoke of his half-time message to his players: “We knew Litherland would tire and we pushed for that equaliser.

"I could sense another Silsden game if we got it, but again when in front of goal we lacked quality as a team, and ultimately got punished for our profligacy."

Goddard knows his side face a tough test of character with these three successive away games before they’re back on home soil again on March 19 against Sandbach United.

“We have some tough fixtures upcoming on our travels, but that’s the challenge we face," he said.

"We will be working hard this week to put a plan together for Atherton and simply continue preparing as best as we can to pull off a result.

"The crowd on a horrible wet Monday evening proves what a great job everyone is doing here, so we won’t lose sight of that just because we’ve lost a football match for the first time in three months.

"If anything, it’s good for us as we will look how we can improve again and learn from these games for the future.

"We need to know what is required to ensure it's Whitchurch Alport who come out on top in these sort of games. Our record proves we just fall short with narrow defeats and all too often they come against our main rivals.

"It was the same last season and, Silsden apart, our record isn’t what I’d like it to be, but this is a hugely tough and competitive division.

"We’ll find the missing parts, though. I certainly love being challenged and after any defeat I just want to get back on the pitch and go again so that’s what we’ll do on Saturday.”