Moors achieved their biggest win of the season last weekend when they beat National League Sutton United to set up an FA Trophy semi-final with Rochdale at the start of next month.
With their local derby against Darlington coming just three days later, and faced with a mounting injury list that saw leading scorer Glen Taylor sidelined and Junior Mondal forced to withdraw after the warm-up for the Quakers game, it would have been easy for Lee’s players to have let their standards slip.
Instead, second-half goals from Olly Dyson and Aidan Rutledge fired Moors to a 2-1 win, and left Lee delighted with his players’ attitude and effort.
“I’ve stressed since coming back on the bus from the Sutton game that as much as we celebrated and we were all happy, I knew there were a few players with niggly problems and the last few days has just been constant messages asking if they’re recovering and how they are,” said Lee.
“From coming into this game with so many players missing, to show that performance and get the win, that’s what it’s all about. We need to show that same energy and desire that we did at Sutton and go again in each game that’s left.
“We’ve got 14 more games to go now, and we have to do the same in every game. We need the squad, and this just highlighted how much we need a squad with the lads coming in. I thought the intensity levels were fantastic.”
Spennymoor’s victory lifted them to 11th position in the table, nine points adrift of the play-off positions. They remain outsiders to claim a play-off berth, but their Trophy run means they have up to three games in hand on all bar one of the teams currently above them in the standings.
“We’ve got games in hand,” said Lee, whose side host Peterborough Sports on Saturday. “We’ve got a hell of a lot of games still to play, and this just highlighted that you need a decent-sized squad and bodies to be able to come in to do a job.
“My objective before the season was, ‘Can we get into those play-offs?’ I’m still looking at that. We’ve got three games in hand on some of the teams above us – if we can win those, we’ll be right in the mix.”
Darlington’s defeat means they have dropped below Spennymoor in the table, having played a game more than their local rivals.
Quakers shaded a tight first half on Tuesday, but Moors goalkeeper Brad James made good saves from Jack Maskell and Ben Hedley.
Moors’ two second-half goals put Steve Watson’s side onto the back foot, although Darlington grabbed a late consolation when Caden Kelly converted from the penalty spot following a foul on Hazeem Bakre.
“It’s a bit of a familiar story at the moment,” admitted Watson. “I thought the fans were fantastic, and I think the majority will understand everybody’s frustrations. There’s nobody more frustrated than me, but the level of performance was very high.
“But ultimately, we’ve not put the ball in the back of the net again. We’ve made big strides in the way that we play, when I came here, we weren’t creating anything. We’re having a bad spell results-wise at the moment, but with the performances, you’d have to think the results will have to turn if we keep playing that well.”
