After United extended their unbeaten run to ten games with a 2-1 away win at Boston United, we spoke to Mark Hughes.
Speaking to CUTV, he spoke about finding a way to win, Harvey Macadam's brilliant brace and moving Josh Williams into an attacking role.
Here is everything we learnt:
1. A pleasing result
"I'm pleased with the result and I thought we did really well in that second half to be able to get our noses in front.
"Unfortunately, after the first goal, they came up the other end and got back on level terms, because at that point I thought as soon as we got one goal, we could have got a number, but credit to them [Boston], they played well.
"They kept going and were always genuine in their efforts without really creating too much danger in our box.
"I think in the first half, we were guilty of causing our own problems, but in the second half I thought we were a lot better in that regard. Two great goals from Harvey [Macadam] took the game away from them, and in the end, we got what we deserved."
2. It's vital to find a way to win
"It's a trick [finding a way to win] that we need to be good at, and for the most part, we've been able to do that. Once again, we found a way [to win].
"It was one of those games. Boston weren't going to allow us to dictate [the game], like we did in the [FA] Cup game. We were under no illusions [that] it was going to be a difficult tie this evening, but we came through it without ever hitting the heights that we know we're capable of.
"Sometimes, you have to give credit to the opposition and what they put [up] against you and what they're trying to do to nullify your threat, and credit to them, they stuck at it, but in the end it wasn't enough.
3. Harvey's prowess in front of goal
"It's something [Macadam's goalscoring prowess] we see every week in training. We've talked to him at length about getting him further up the field and arriving at pace, because when he arrives at pace and then has that contact with the ball, then it's very difficult for goalkeepers to recognise the pace and it [the ball] goes past them.
"It's a really great skill that he's got. There are very few players in my time [that] I've seen being able to connect with such power that Harvey [Macadam] does. So if we can get him in the good areas and allow him to get those shots off, then he's going to score more often than not.
4. Practice makes perfect
"It's something we do [arriving at the edge of the box] in training right through the week, but certainly on a Friday leading into a Saturday game.
"[We practice] patterns of play and the areas that we [want] guys taking shots. Those things are evident in our play and certainly Harvey's positioning for his goals tonight just illustrates that point really."
5. Macadam and Gilliead are becoming an imperious partnership
"Yeah, he's [Macadam] a big presence now, and I think he's enjoying his football. I thought in recent weeks that relationship between him and Gilly [Alex Gilliead] is excellent.
"It's growing [Macadam and Gilliead's relationship] I think and I think Gilly alongside Harvey has just released him [Macadam] a little bit and allows him the comfort of knowing that he can get a little bit further forward because he knows Gilly's behind him making sure that we're not too exposed if our attacks break down and it goes the other way.
"At the moment, those two are playing really well."
6. A captain's performance from stellar Feeney
"His [Feeney's] performance tonight was a captain's one, and he's a big leader in the group and [he] leads by example. He's vocal as well, he'll say how it is and [he says] what needs to be said on occasions , and people take note because for the most part, he's always right.
"He's leading the team really well at the moment."
7. Williams' versatility is a great asset for United's right-hand side
"I just felt we could make the change [Williams to right wing]. Archie [Davies] is a very attacking full-back as well, so I thought maybe we can get both of them just exploiting space down the right-hand side.
"Junior [Luamba] did okay, but was finding it difficult to make any headway, and I just thought Josh going further forward with the pace that he's got [catches] people unaware.
"He [Williams] had the presence of mind to pick out Harvey [Macadam] on the edge of the box, because he knows the quality he [Macadam] has in those areas."
8. The Blues showed great resilience to seal the victory
"We had to show a lot of character and a lot of resilience. It was important that we won the game today.
"Playing after everybody else isn't easy, you have that added pressure of seeing the results come in and teams in and around us have been able to get good points on the board. Some [teams] have [got points on the board] and some haven't, so we've got to be able to exploit that if we can."
9. United are making a habit of grinding out results
"We're going to have to do that [grind results out] and that's a quality that we'll have to show. It's not going to be easy, but ten games unbeaten is a great level and shows the resilience of the team at the moment."
10. It was great to send the travelling faithful home jubilant
"It wasn't a great night in terms of weather, and it's a hell of a long way down here. On a Saturday night, everybody will get home really late but it's made easier if you've won the game, so we're really pleased about that."
