Cooper delighted as "magical moment" seals back-to-back wins for Town with victory over Maidenhead

Aaron Cosgrave came off the bench to seal Halifax's first home win in nearly three months after Tobi Sho-Silva had cancelled out Adan George's early opener.

"Delighted to get back-to-back wins," Cooper told the Courier, "I think it was a must for us to continue where we left off on Saturday with a positive outcome.

"We knew going into the second-half with the lead and not taking a couple more chances first-half that we were always going to be at risk of them throwing the kitchen sink at us and going of it, putting us on the back foot.

"But we stayed in the game, stayed patient towards the end and to come up with a magical moment at the end with Aaron off the bench was brilliant.

"We're under no illusions, it wasn't perfect but you're up against a team that 14 games in, were bottom and they've really turned it around, they work really hard, they put balls in your box from everywhere.

"They've got real pace and quality in wide areas one v one and they drove at us first-half, without really creating a lot.

"I thought we could have come in a couple of goals up and would have been good value for that.

"Then things opened up a bit more, they risk putting an extra striker up top, but it was about getting the three points and making sure we keep everyone as fit as possible because we've got another game straight away.

"So it was getting the balance right between being as competitive as we could, getting the three points and making sure we did it without any more injuries."

Town followed up an impressive first-half with a below-par second 45 as Maidenhead grew into the game and looked to have earned a draw.

"It was to be expected really, they were always going to put it on us when they came out, it was always going to be physical duels, trying to get the ball into areas and be more of a threat," Cooper said.

"We'd like to have kept the ball better in moments in the second-half and killed it off earlier and taken our chances, we did have chances before the equaliser and later on, Kane comes up with an attempt and it was an unbelievable save.

"But credit to Maidenhead, they probably don't get enough credit for how they play, they've got pace and energy, they're organised, they don't concede many and we knew that, at 1-0 down, coming up on a Tuesday night, they don't have anything to lose so they went at us second-half and we weren't as strong as we wanted to be, but ultimately we were able to get the late winner and back up Saturday's performance with a more hard-working and industrial type three points.

"They're not always going to be the pretties games at this stage of the season. You always want the performance and the result but ultimately, you take the result first."

When asked if the first-half performance was the blueprint Town are looking for, Cooper said: "Very much so, with the changes we've had in the window, it's to get the ball down and play, to be patient, to work in areas, to get our stronger players up against their back line and create opportunities and I thought we did that.

"We know it might leave us exposed more at the back end of the pitch because we commit more bodies forward but going into half-time we were full of confidence we could execute a game-plan second-half to get all three points.

"We knew they'd throw some changes at us, which they did. Disappointing in the manner we conceded the goal, but it's how we want to evolve.

"It's always been part of the plan to try and evolve the playing style a bit."

On the Maidenhead goal, Cooper said: "Immediate reaction would be to make sure we're squeezing, making sure that we're getting up, not leaving the space in behind, defending in wide areas either doubling up or making sure we're stopping the ball going in.

"I've not had chance to watch it back but we've had goals like that previously, the one at Maidenhead, but it looked like a soft finish, creeping over the line.

"So, disappointing to concede, especially when you know it swings momentum. We wanted to kill the game off but we showed good character to come back.

"We created enough chances to win the game and came up trumps right at the death with what we were told was the last kick of the game, although they managed to get another minute out of it."

Cosgrave's goal came in the 98th minute of the game.

"I'm pleased for Aaron, he's had to remain patient for his minutes recently but he hasn't let anything drop in terms of his standards and how he's trained," Cooper said on the striker.

"To come on and get the type of finish he did was great, but it came from a patient build-up.

"When a team drops low late in a game it's not easy just to put a ball on them, knock it into the box and they can pick up the second balls and run at you with pace.

"So we needed to find the opening, work the opening, sometimes you have to come back and around to open up the space to play through, which is what we did."

George's seventh minute goal was his first since joining The Shaymen.

"Delighted, any striker knows the thing they're judged on is goals and he's never shied away from that but he's a humble, honest and hard-working young man who has absolutely grafted relentlessly for the team," said Cooper.

"Some of the work he's done without the ball in recent games has been great and he's shown his qualities tonight with the ball.

"He could have had two in the first-half, he broke through and shot at the keeper, but I though the took his goal really well and was a threat."

On the second-half changes that saw Luke Summerfield and Jack Jenkins withdrawn, Cooper said: "Just fresh legs, no way a slant on how they played, just getting fresh bodies on.

"Jack Hunter came on and did well on Saturday, just to try and break up play from direct balls.

"Jenkins is just increasing his minutes from coming in and stepping up to senior football.

"We're making sure people are as fresh as they can be to go again on Saturday, and Aaron coming on gave us fresh legs and speed in behind as well late in the game."

Read more from Cooper later this week on the Courier website.