“It was the right result on the balance of play. Marine were excellent and played some good football keeping us on the back-foot. But credit to the players. They came through with a strong mentality second half and saw the game through led by our brilliant captain,” Gavin Cowan said. “Gaz typifies the mentality and it is apt that he got the winner today. He was immense.”

A dour first half offered little to excite spectators with goal chances or highlights few and far between. Brackley’s best moment saw Morgan Roberts’ mazy run end in a scuffed finish that failed to threaten Marine’s ‘keeper Luke Hutchinson while the visitors only once brought Brackley’s Jonny Maxted into action for a comfortable save.

An altogether brighter second half began with chances for The Mariners. Captain Adam Thomas sliced his slot wide when well placed and Maxted saved well twice before Gavin Cowan’s side went ahead. The decisive moment that broke the deadlock came on 53 minutes. Zak Lilly’s strike from distance was athletically tipped away by Hutchinson only for Saints’ skipper Gaz Dean to rise highest and head in from the resulting corner.

Tyler Lyttle brought another flying save from Hutchinson and at the other end Tom Atcheson on his league debut for Neil Young’s side struck a rocket of a shot that Maxted pushed away.

Marine put the home defence under late pressure but Dean marshalled his side to hold onto the points, recording successive clean sheets and moving Brackley into 12th place leaving Marine marooned in 23rd spot.

Brackley Town: Maxted; Dean, Lilly, Lyttle; Craig, Lowe, Bates, O’Sullivan, Roberts (Pollock 46); Hall (Cross 63), Newton. Subs unused: Byrne, Worby.

Marine: Hutchinson; Brown, Atcheson, Mattock, Waters; Thomas (Holmes 74), Montgomery (Davies 74), Whelan (Griffiths 80), Robinson (Lawal 70), Sinclair-Smith; Zimba. Subs unused: S.Butler.

Referee: H Jones Assistants: S Kavanagh and M Pattison 4th official: D Constable
Attendance: 733

PIC by Pete Keen.