A goal one minute into stoppage time at the end of the game may make the difference in Royston Town's attempts to reach the play-offs.

The Crows had taken the lead at home to Rushall Olympic, one of the sides already in the top five, but the Walsall-based visitors equalised with eight minutes to go.

And while manager Steve Castle still felt a draw would have been a good result, Shomari Barnwell pounced late on to give his side a 2-1 win.

It leaves them sixth in the table although they trail their visitors by 10 points having played a game more.

But the boss says they will keep going until it is mathematically impossible for them to join the post-season fun.

He said: "There is an amount of games we need to get [positive results from]  

"It’s a real impossible ask to get us into the play-offs as all the teams that are in there at this moment in time have done really well. 

"It is an uphill task but the only thing we can do is put in performances like we did against Rushall and hopefully get three more points. 

"The boys, to a man, went about it in the right way against a very good team.  

"Rushall are a very good team but that is the level [we need to get to].

"And as and when we can start chipping away and possibly look at play-off stuff, they are one of the teams we have to catch. 

"This is a shock for them, they have lost two in 16 before this, but a really good positive win for us."

Royston's home form has been key to the climb up the table with this result making it seven wins and two draws from the last nine league games at Garden Walk.

Castle said: "Unbeaten at home is great and it’s nice that we’re doing it in front of our fans. I’m sometimes accused of being a little bit too negative but this turnaround is brilliant. 

"The character that we are showing on a tough pitch, and that’s not having a go at any of the ground staff here but it has had a battering. It isn’t the easiest surface to play on but we have adapted.

"They got themselves level and you think that it is still a reasonable result but Shomari has come up with a fantastic strike that has got us the three points. 

"He was disappointed he didn’t start the game but all the subs all came on and make a real contribution. 

"The squad is very positive at the moment."

And they will be back at Garden Walk on Saturday when Redditch United come to town, and Castle is hoping the players will full of the joys of love too.

The boss said: "I’ve given them Tuesday night off [Valentine's Day] so hopefully the wives and girlfriends will be happy with that as well, but we’ll restart on Thursday and go for it for the remainder of the season. 

"We didn’t turn up when we went [to Redditch, lost 4-2] and so the competitive edge has to be there. 

"But we’ll be on the front foot."