March Town manager Ash Taylor praised his side’s composure after they overcame difficult conditions to record an impressive 4-1 victory at Kirkley and Pakefield and move four points clear at the top of the Premier Division.

The Hares made it four successive league victories with another convincing away performance, although they had to respond after the hosts threatened to derail their afternoon with a second-half equaliser.

Taylor was delighted with the way his players handled both the blustery coastal conditions and the challenge posed by their opponents.

“Overall, I was pleased with the performance,” he said.

“The game was difficult on the coast with very windy conditions, but we managed that well and did what we needed to do.”

March made the perfect start when Reuben Marshall converted a ninth-minute penalty to give the visitors an early advantage.

However, Kirkley and Pakefield refused to lie down and drew level through Henrickson Brazao in the 65th minute.

The setback could have unsettled the league leaders, but March demonstrated their growing maturity by regaining control almost immediately.

Marshall restored their advantage just four minutes later before Danny Emmington extended the lead to 3-1 in the 74th minute.

Flo Tsaguim then completed the scoring in the second minute of stoppage time to put the seal on another valuable three points.

Taylor was particularly impressed by the calmness shown by his players after conceding the equaliser.

“The response really impressed me,” he said.

“There was no panic, just a calmness to go on and win the game, which you need in those situations.”

Marshall’s double continued his growing influence since returning to the club, although Taylor believes there is still more to come from the forward.

“Since Reubs rejoined, he’s been finding his rhythm again and he’s impacting games with goals but also important assists,” he said.

“He knows himself he should have scored more than he has right now, but with the chances coming, the goals will come.”

The victory strengthened March’s grip on top spot, opening up a four-point advantage over their nearest challengers.

However, Taylor is determined not to let his players become distracted by the league table with so much of the campaign still to play.

“I think it’s important not to speak about it too much,” he said.

“Obviously, we know where we are, but the main thing for us is ensuring we are always ready to go come the next game.”

Despite their impressive position, the March boss believes his side could have accumulated even more points during the opening months of the season.

“I feel we should have been more consistent and we’ve dropped some points we shouldn’t have dropped, in my opinion,” he admitted.

“But since the Haverhill draw at home, we’ve won four on the bounce in the league.

“The biggest factor behind what we’re doing is the group of players understanding each other better and becoming more mature as a team.”

The Hares were due to host Soham Town Rangers in the League Challenge Cup last night before travelling to Mildenhall in the Premier Division on Saturday.

March Town: Whitehall, Emmington, Brumby, Green, Bowen, King, Tsaguim, Jenkins, Marshall, Tait, Henson. Subs: Foy, Miller, Watkins, Harvey.