Tim Flowers happy with his assistant

Stafford Rangers boss Tim Flowers has hailed the impact of his assistant Matt Elliott as the management duo battle to change the team's fortunes on the pitch.

Tuesday night's 2-1 defeat at Vauxhall Motors in the Blue Square North, the fourth of Flowers' five games in charge, has led to a sombre mood around Marston Road as the manager looks to find his feet in the hotseat.

The players are back in for training tonight with Elliott backed to lift their spirits and get them ready to go again at Harrogate on Saturday, with the former Scotland international keen to get them tightening up in the area he knows best - defence.

The order of play during most of the team's training is that Elliott takes the session with Flowers constantly overseeing and liaising with his No 2, looking for players to catch his eye ahead of matchday.

It's an arrangement which the manager is pleased with and he's been more than happy with the input from his assistant, a former team-mate as players at Leicester.

Flowers said: "I have been immensely impressed with Matt, he's done a great job so far and I wouldn't swap him for the world.

"The lads have really took to him because he commands respect, he's played at the highest level and everybody knows that, but that counts for nothing here.

"The sessions he has been putting on are bright, he's got good information because he knows the game, it's great for me to have someone I can reflect on things with and discuss how we are going to take the club forward.

"Matt has played for some outstanding managers, we both have, and you pick things up.

"He brings a lot to the table and I have been absolutely delighted with him."