March Town boss Ash Taylor says his side had expected a more comfortable evening after the Hares were forced to show patience before overcoming Heacham 3-0 to climb to the top of the table.

A second-half brace from Flo Tsaguim and a stunning strike from Danny Emmington eventually broke the resistance of the managerless Magpies, who frustrated their free-scoring hosts for 70 minutes at the GER.

March went into the contest unbeaten on home soil, having collected 20 points from a possible 24, and in devastating goalscoring form after plundering 27 goals in their previous four league and cup outings.

But despite dominating proceedings, the anticipated avalanche of goals never materialised as the visitors produced a determined defensive display.

And Taylor believes the experience could prove valuable as his side look to maintain their position at the summit.

“To be honest, I was expecting us to win by a bigger margin tonight,” admitted Taylor.

“I think a lot of people were, including us as a management team and the players. That’s probably the reason why we’ve only won 3-0.

“Maybe there was an expectation that we’d go out there and win 4-0 or 5-0.

“In a way, it’s been a good game for us because when you play a team that’s struggling down the bottom, you have to understand that you’ve still got to graft and fight for the three points.

“I see it as a positive because it hasn’t been an easy game or the game we thought we were going to get.”

Taylor was quick to praise the visitors for their disciplined approach, with the Magpies defending resolutely before March finally made their dominance count.

“Credit to Heacham, they worked really hard and put everything into it,” he said.

“They sat in and I can’t really remember them having a shot on goal, but they worked tremendously hard, defended well and competed.

“We had to be patient and find a way, and eventually we did.

“I was surprised by how well they defended their box. We put some good balls in and I thought their two centre-halves dealt with them really well.

“We had them pinned back for pretty much the whole game and they were looking to catch us on the counter-attack.

“It’s difficult when you’ve got 11 players behind the ball, but we managed to find a way and that’s the most important thing.”

The March chief also pointed to the importance of avoiding costly slip-ups against teams towards the foot of the table, having seen similar results hamper his side’s promotion ambitions last season.

“We spoke before the game about situations last year,” he explained.

“We lost to the two bottom teams in the league last year in the UCL and those two results affected where we finished in the play-offs.

“We’ve had a tendency to drop off against teams towards the bottom, so I’m pleased we’ve managed to find a way tonight.”

Taylor acknowledged his side had fallen short of their usual attacking standards, despite making a promising start which saw an early effort pushed onto the post by the visiting goalkeeper.

“From our first attack, we had a great shot that I think the goalkeeper pushed onto the post,” he said.

“I thought after that opening chance, the players probably felt it was going to be a really positive night for us.

“But after that, things didn’t quite click as we’d have wanted.

“We still created some good opportunities, but not the number we’d normally expect.

“All in all, we’ve dominated the game, won 3-0 and kept a clean sheet. It’s a positive night for us.”

The Hares boss also revealed that his half-time message had centred on improving the basics after becoming frustrated by players taking too many touches and overcomplicating their approach.

“Too many individuals were taking too many touches, thinking they were going to score themselves. It’s a team game,” he said.

“We had to play as a team and get the basics right.

“We were playing backwards too much and, when we played along the back line, they started pressing us.

“We just needed to improve the basics.

“In the second half, our decision-making was much better. Could it have been better still? Of course. But in terms of the basics and how we needed to play the game, we got those things right.”

Taylor also praised the impact of his substitutes, with the introduction of Louis Jenkins and Ben Tait helping March finally unlock the visitors’ defence.

And he was particularly delighted to see Tsaguim continue his return to goalscoring form with a match-winning double.

“I’m really pleased for Flo,” said Taylor.

“I said on Saturday that he’s had a bit of a tough time, but he was one of our most important players last year.

“Having him back in form is a major boost for us.

“He’s scored in the last two league games and again tonight, so that’s four goals in three games now. He’s finding his form.”

There was also special praise for Emmington, whose spectacular finish put the seal on the victory.

“When he gets around the edge of the box, I haven’t seen many players who can finish like he can,” added Taylor.

“Some of the goals he’s scored, when he hits the ball, it’s like a rocket going into the net.

“I’m glad he caught one right tonight because he deserved that goal.”

The result extended March’s unbeaten home league record, with the Hares now having collected 23 points from a possible 27 at the GER.

And Taylor is determined to ensure their home ground remains an intimidating destination for visiting sides.

“When teams come here, they know they’re in for a difficult game,” he said.

“We want them to feel the pressure of the game. We try to impose ourselves on the opposition, make them uncomfortable and put them under stress.

“Sometimes we do that and sometimes we don’t. When we don’t, I get frustrated.

“I wouldn’t say we made it particularly uncomfortable for them tonight, but the most important thing is that we’ve got the three points.”

March now turn their attention to Saturday’s trip to Kirkley, another side towards the bottom of the table, and Taylor hopes the hard-fought victory will serve as a timely reminder that nothing can be taken for granted.

“What we’ve experienced tonight, with the game perhaps not being what the players expected, will improve our focus and concentration going into Saturday,” he said.

“It will remind us of the importance of doing the basics right.

“I’m hoping the challenge Heacham gave us tonight will make sure we go there fully focused, knowing that we’ve got to graft and do things properly if we want to come away with a good result.”