Dolly Blues' feet on the ground

Wins over Farsley Celtic and Prescot Cables in the last week made it six straight in the league for the Dolly Blues and moved them up to third in the NPL First Division North.

City also have games in hand on the sides around them ahead of Ossett Town visiting Giant Axe on Saturday.

But McCann insists it is a case of one game at a time for an improving Lancaster side.

“No one is getting carried away,” said McCann, who stood in for an unwell Phil Brown for the 2-0 win over Prescot on Tuesday night.

“We haven’t really spoken about the league position, only maybe once or twice. We haven’t said we’re going for promotion or anything like that.

“We just want to improve on last season and that’s reaching the play-offs, which we’re on course to do at the 
moment.

“There’s a lot of hard work still to come to achieve that though because we’re striving to be as good as we can be.

“But we’re well grounded and are taking every game as it comes.”

City’s winning run may have continued but McCann was keen to stress that the Dollies were below their best against Prescot and in the 4-2 victory at promotion rivals Farsley on Saturday.

“They were two really good wins but in all honesty we didn’t play to the levels we’re capable of,” he said.

“On Saturday it was the spirit that got us through, coming back from 1-0 and 2-1 down to win 4-2.

“Then we were under quite a bit of pressure on Tuesday night and ground out a 2-0 win with Mike Hale making a couple of really good saves.

“We think there’s still more to come performance-wise.

“But one of the players summed it up best on Tuesday night when they said it’s the sign of a good team when you can not play that well and still get results.”

This Saturday’s game against mid-table Ossett will see City go in as favourites, something McCann knows the players will have to relish if their high-flying form continues.

“It’s strange being favourites but it’s something we’re going to have to get used to,” said the former Squires Gate boss.

“It was important we backed up the win at Farsley on Tuesday and we did that.

“Now we want to do that on Saturday but we know anyone can beat anyone in this division.

“It’s about how your apply yourselves at the end of the day.”