"You saw a huge fight and desire to get the three points," says Cooper after Town's win over Boston

Jamie Cooke's second-half goal proved decisive against a Boston team who showed fighting spirit and pushed Town all the way, despite being second-from-bottom.

"It was a typical game at this stage of the season against a team fighting for their lives down at the bottom," Cooper said.

"They've come off the back of good performances and results when we watched them against York and Barnet

"There's been a change in how they're playing since their new manager came in, creating more chances, more direct, more physical, more crosses into the box.

"So we knew that's what they'd pose, it was just about our game plan, and ultimately we've done enough, with a great piece of play from back to front, which is pleasing.

"At these moments of the season, you've got to dig in and graft.

"Obviously it's difficult for both sides to play on the surface like it is at the moment but one thing we weren't lacking in when maybe there was a lack of quality in the game throughout, was endeavour, grit, determination - all the stuff that when people pull on a Halifax Town shirt, they should have in abundance.

"That's what we showed today.

"It was never going to be the prettiest, I didn't expect we'd be free-flowing.

"You saw some of the bounces and the individual errors that can happen on a pitch like that.

"But we stuck to task and there were moments where we were getting called on to play it forward quicker, but when we took our time, were patient and opened them up, which is what we'd worked on, we were able to come up with a bit of magic with that goal.

"Maybe if Cookie hadn't already got goal of the season for an individual piece of skill a few weeks ago, they're the type of team goal as a coach that you absolutely love to see because it's everything you work on from back on July 1 when you come in for pre-season and you're working on being brave on the ball and trying to play through teams."

Town were poor in the first-half and struggled to get going.

When asked why, Cooper said: "No excuses for the pitch because we know what we have to face.

"They threatened us too much in wide areas and got too many balls in, and we weren't at our best in either stopping the crosses or getting first contacts.

"We tweaked a couple of things at half-time in terms of what we wanted to do and it paid dividends.

"I understand the frustrations but I don't think we're going to expect any teams to come here and just roll over, and just to have all the ball and be able to knock it around smoothly.

"There's going to be moments where it's more gritty and more hard work.

"Credit to Boston, they gave it a right good go in the first-half.

"We were under par but I don't think it was so one-sided that we never felt we were out of the game.

"We just felt one moment, one counter-attack, one opportunity to play through them and pick off the front two was what we needed.

"They were always going to chuck more bodies up later in the game, as we would if we were chasing the game, they put Gale on, who is on loan from Mansfield.

"Knowles has started, on loan from Accrington, so they've got good quality players higher up the pitch but we felt if we could get through that first line of attack, we could have a good go at the back oine, which I thought we did better in the second-half, without being prolific.

"But I don't thinbk we're going to be at the moment, I think it's a case of digging in, and you saw a huge fight and desire to get the three points from everyone."

On the importance of the win after defeat at Southend in midweek, Cooper said: "Ultimately three points is what we're after and the byproduct of the quality at the minute is less so.

"We know we're going to have a different challenge in the next game in terms of style, so that'll pose a different threat.

"We know people have to be patient with us again because we went to Rochdale and had the most possession against them that any team had had there so far this season, and in my view, deserved to come away with something from the game.

"A couple of lapses cost us, but there is a side to us that will be organised, making sure they try and overplay in certain areas of the pitch and us to try and regain it.

"We want to be brave on the ball, we do want to play more but I think you can see from some of the errors in today's play that individually, it's hard for the lads to be able to do it on the surface we play on.

"We just have to manage the situation without putting any blame or criticism, but clearly it is a factor."

Defender Adam Adetoro was dropped to the bench for the game in place of Festus Arthur, who made his first league start in nearly two years.

"Just with the run of games we've got coming up, the heavy pitch, the quick turnaround and the travel we've had recently," Cooper explained.

"Looking at suspensions as well, there's a threshold in terms of suspensions, so making sure we could go into the Rochdale game with everybody available for selection for that game.

"And it gave Festus an opportunity, that he's earned, to play, and we've got a full compliment of centre-halves, barring Jo Cummings through injury of course, that have had minutes on the pitch that we can call on and that are fighting for the shirt."

On the absence from the squad of Owen Bray, Cooper said: "He did have a slight knock at Southend but he's trained twice since and again today, so there's no issue other than competition for places and making sure we're getting people up to speed and ready to play.

"It's the stage of the season now where we do get a little threadbare and we've got to make sure everyone gets an opportunity.

"Flo Hoti has had a big period out but he's been training well the last couple of weeks and he's fully fit and ready to go if called upon."