Positive Spireites out to finish strong - Hird

Last weekend’s point at Bolton was followed up with a win today at home to Port Vale.

“It’s started to come together in the last couple of games,” he said.

“I’m pleased on a personal level but it’s nice for the lads and nice for the football club to get two good results back to back.

“Great performances, considering we’ve got a lot of young lads in the team as well, where we are in the league can be a bit demoralising but we’ve really stepped up in these last couple of weeks.

“Training has been really good and it’s important to finish the season strongly whether that be (staying) in this league or, so be it, if we go down.”

Joe Rowley’s second half goal proved the difference and lifted the atmosphere in the Proact.

Hird said supporters were finally seeing what they wanted to see today.

“The crowd has been good all season,” he said.

“They want to see a team that’s having a go, with an attacking threat and winning football matches.

“I think we’ve given them that, they can see we had a really good go at it today, I don’t think we played as well as we can do but we were reasonably solid and got the win.”

Rowley stole the headlines with that winner but another of the club’s academy products, Laurence Maguire, had a fine game alongside Hird and Anderson in the back three.

“He’s done really well. At Rochdale by his own admission he had a difficult first half but second half he was brilliant and the last two games he’s been solid as well,” said Hird.

“He made a great header in the box in the last two minutes and as a defender that’s what you want to see.”