Lancaster City boss Chris Willcock wants a "ruthless" 2025

The Dolly Blues recorded their first win at Bamber Bridge for a decade on Boxing Day but the boss felt victory should have been far more comfortable. Lewis Mansell sealed a 3-2 win after Lancaster had twice taken the lead only to be pegged back.

Willcock told the club's media team: “We were the better side and deserved to win but the game should have been over at half-time.

“I made a really tough change to leave Nico (Evangelinos) out and bring Marcus (Cusani) in. If we're going to make a push our forwards have to score one in three and they haven't, so it puts me under pressure to make changes and see if we can get better combinations and more consistency in front of goal. When chances come along we have to be ruthless.”

Man of the match Mansell crossed for Aaron Bennett to open the scoring on nine minutes. The hosts capitalised on some fine saves by Harvey Bardsley as Simon Grand, the former Lancaster player-boss, looped the equaliser over new Dollies keeper Aidan Dowling on 27 minutes.

Brayden Shaw restored the visitors' lead on the stroke of half-time, heading in Bennett's corner for his first Lancaster goal. The hosts levelled again on 67 minutes, Jarma Mohamed the scorer after Fin Wallbank's throw was flicked on.

But when substitute Evangelinos won an 80th-minute free-kick, Shaw's delivery was headed home by Mansell.

Lancaster had to settle for a 1-1 home draw with Workington on the Saturday before Christmas, when Christian Sloan's strike on 35 minutes was cancelled out by the Cumbrians' Steven Rigg on 73.

Lancaster start the year ninth in the Northern Premier League, four points outside the top five. After hosting Mickleover Town on New Year's Day, the Dolly Blues welcome Prescot Cables to Giant Axe on January 11.

Keeper Dowling has started Lancaster's last two games, having returned to the club where he enjoyed a loan spell from Blackburn Rovers in 2021. The 22-year-old spent last season with League of Ireland Division One champions Cork City.