Colliers boss Ian Skinner delighted with defender's goal-scoring return

However the boss – who is always looking for the complete performance – expressed a tinge of disappointment after his side did not go on to make the scoreline even more emphatic.

Skinner said: “Our second goal – scored by Darren Lough – gave us breathing space and after that we really put our foot on the gas. We ended up scoring three, but I was a little bit disappointed that we didn’t go on to make it five or six. However we’ll take a 3-0 win at a tough place like Redcar because they are a good side and not many teams will come here and win.”

“For the first 20-25 minutes I thought we were in complete control, then we lost our way a little bit.”

However Skinner was full of praise for Darren Lough after the defender turned in a sublime performance on his return to the side – and also scored his first goal of the season.

Lough had been out for the past six weeks after he broke two toes in the away match at Pickering Town.

Skinner said: “Darren would have played the last five games for us with a couple of broken toes if he could – but we just needed to manage him.

“He’s what I class as an ‘old school’ player at this level in terms of he never wants to come off the pitch.

“What you see is what you get with him and he gives you everything he’s got.”

Lough said: “I trained on Tuesday and Thursday and, with Ryan McKinnon not available, I was told that I may be needed.

“I gave it a go and everything turned out okay with my foot.”

The 33-year-old lynchpin was pleased to open his goalscoring account: “Ben (Harmison) flicked the ball on from Andrew Cartwright’s corner and I was caught in two minds, so I just went to head it and I was delighted when it hit the net,” he said.

“At the end of the day, we got the win and a clean sheet, which is just what we needed going into Saturday’s clash against Newton Aycliffe.”