New St Albans City manager Ian Allinson insists he does not have a magic wand but believes the club’s squad are good enough to climb out of trouble.

Allinson was appointed as the Saints’ manager on Friday after leaving his role as director of football at Boreham Wood.

He took charge of a side bottom of the National League South but an opening 2-2 draw at home to Concord Rangers on Saturday moved City up one place.

Allinson said: “With the squad that’s assembled at this football club it shouldn’t be near the bottom of the table with 23 points after 28 games."

He added: “I’ve got no magic wand at the end of the day. All I try and demand is the players work extremely hard and if we’re not successful, but everyone gives over 100 per cent and we’ve not been good enough, then nobody can complain.

“But if we can put four or five results on the board very quickly, with a special week of seven or nine points, then the confidence will come flying back from our point of view. Hopefully the players have got a bit more confidence from today.”

The Saints looked on course for a first league win since the middle of December but their 2-0 lead was cancelled out by two late Concord goals.

Allinson said: “We need to win games. Draws are no good. If we drew the next 14 games we’d be relegated so we have to go and win games and be positive."

Allinson's arrival means previous boss Harry Wheeler will become his assistant. The new manager hopes his extensive experience in the game, which includes guiding Wood to promotion to the National League last season, will help the club.

He said: “I was at Boreham Wood as manager and the club decided to go full time in October and I felt I wasn’t in position to do that with the job I do on a day time basis. I stepped back down and the chairman kindly invited me back to be director of football.

“I wanted to try it and see what it was like and decided last Sunday it just wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to be back in the dugout with players. It’s not so much coaching but more about man-management and trying to organise and get people into good habits.

“What I feel we need here are good habits which will bring us results."

The Saints, who gave a debut in defence to Charlton loanee Josh Staunton, took the lead through Eddie Oshodi's tidy finish.

The hosts doubled their lead in the second half through Michael Thalassitis' strike.

But Steve Cawley pulled one back before an 89th minute goal from Sam Bantick denied the Saints with a late equaliser.

Allinson's side face Ebbsfleet United tomorrow night before travelling to fellow strugglers Bath City this Saturday.