Midfielder Mitch Rose says Notts County controlled their emotions to secure an important 2-1 victory against Grimsby on Saturday afternoon.
The former Mariners man set up the Magpies’ opener when Craig Mackail-Smith bundled home his cross at the back post before Harry Clifton’s own-goal doubled their advantage.
Alex Whitmore pulled one back in the last minute of stoppage time but Notts saw out the dying seconds to claim a win that takes their battle for survival to Sky Bet League Two’s final day.
And 24-year-old Rose felt the experience in the Magpies’ ranks helped them deal with the pressure of the must-win affair at Meadow Lane.
“We understood the importance and the magnitude of getting three points,” said the midfielder.
“We controlled our emotions and focused on what we have been working on all week to help us get the win.
“We’ve got some lads who are experiencing this for the first time but others who’ve won promotions, been through relegations and had careers spanning 10-15 years – and we have a wealth of experience in the management staff too.
“It was about making sure we shut out all of the outside noise and any anxiety that the fans are rightfully feeling and concentrating on our qualities.”
Rose says high-stakes matches like the clash with his former club are the kind any footballer should relish and feels Notts must stay focused on their own jobs on the season’s final day when they need results to go their way.
“These are the matches you look forward to,” he said. "The reason you are a professional footballer is to go out there and play in the games where people expect you to deliver a performance.
“Next week we have to do the same as today. We can’t worry about what Macclesfield are doing because we can’t influence that.
“We can’t control anything that happens outside of the ground and so we just have to make sure we do our job to get the three points and then everything else will take care of itself.”