Daniel Moore calls for focus as Hebburn Town secure Northern Premier League East play-off spot

Hebburn Town manager Daniel Moore has urged his side to focus on what lies ahead after they secured a Northern Premier League East Division play-off place on Saturday.

The Hornets went into the final game of their regular season knowing avoiding defeat against Cleethorpes Town would be enough to earn a top five place and give them a chance of claiming promotion into the Premier Division over the coming week.

Boosted by the support of a season-high crowd of over 600 at the Green Energy Sports Ground, Moore’s men made a positive start as Amar Purewal fired them in front inside the opening three minutes. Sam Topliss got the visitors back on level-terms just before the quarter-hour mark but second-half strikes from Robbie Spence and Olly Martin led the Hornets to a 3-1 win and set off boisterous celebrations when the full-time whistle was blown.

Results elsewhere mean Long Eaton United will now travel to South Tyneside for a play-off semi-final on Tuesday night - and Moore has warned his squad that must be their focus, rather than looking back at their successful push for a top five spot.

He told The Gazette: “Some of those games, you wonder if it emotionally takes it out of the players and then how that impacts on your body - but there was none of that and I thought it was the best we have played at home. We controlled the game for 90 minutes and they only had a spell just after we got the first. We rode it out, we were very professional but it’s about Tuesday now. That’s nine or ten months of hard work, we enjoy tonight but there is still work to do.”

“I kept them on the pitch because they deserve a bit of appreciation for what they have done. But I’ve said to look after themselves this weekend, enjoy tonight because sometimes things like this might not come around against for some players. You enjoy it, you enjoy the moment but then the focus has to switch to Tuesday.”

Moore will assess the fitness of Joe Walton and Jack Donaghy ahead of Tuesday night’s game.