Rob Smith: This has been my toughest week in game

He was appointed the club's manager for the second time on August 27 and inherited a side bottom of the league.

Since then Smith has seen a number of players come and go and has begun to rebuild his side.

Speaking after the 2-0 home win over Stalybridge Celtic in the Conference North, Smith said: "We have never grafted like we have over the past two weeks. That is the hardest week I have had in football.

"If I could tell you some of the conversations I have had with managers, players, from in and out of this club, you just would not believe it.

"It has been a really frustrating hard week and that is aside from the training and everything else.

"It has just been a nightmare."

"Players in, players out, you wouldn't believe. It's like a soap opera honestly.

"Just the whole thing – but all I know is that those lads in that dressing room, those 16 lads in there today want to be with me and that is it.

"They want to be with this club. I have been saying that for weeks now and I think they have proved it today.

"We aren't great, we haven't really got much magic about us, but we have got heart and passion and that will get us out of the misery."

Smith faces a tricky task of balancing the squad as there are a number of players on contract who are not being selected in his current plans.

He said: "You can only pick 16.

"Some of the lads that aren't in the squad are good lads.

"It's just the situation that I have inherited and it is not ideal. And it's not ideal for the players who aren't in the squad.

"And it's not ideal to have too many players around the dressing room who are not being picked because, it might not be that they are bad lads but, they are not necessarily going to be happy not being in the 16."

"So we have tried to just get the lads here on the match day who are selected."