PAUL RUTHERFORD does not score many goals but the winger was over the moon with his stunning strike following a frustrating start to the season.

Rutherford, restricted to just two league starts this season, again came off the substitutes bench and scored the only goal as Wrexham ended an eight-game winless run by beating Ebbsfleet United 1-0 at The Racecourse on Saturday.

Victory took Wrexham, with interim manager Brian Flynn at the helm, out of the relegation zone going into tonight's game in hand against Solihull Moors at Damson Park.

Rutherford was over the moon with his first goal of the campaign after finding chances limited.

"I just knew that as soon as it left my foot it was a nice strike," said Rutherford.

"I am only small, I had a big defender in my way and I couldn't see the flight of the ball other than it hit the underside of the bar.

"My career speaks for itself that I have not scored many goals but I have contributed a lot to teams that I have played in.

"I'll be honest, it has been a frustrating start to the season and to get that goal meant a lot to me and I was buzzing.

"I have not really had a lot of game-time and to get that goal meant everything to me."

Manager Bryan Hughes was sacked ahead of the clash with fellow strugglers Ebbsfleet following the poor start to the season and Rutherford admits it was win at all cost.

"We were crying out for a result," said Rutherford.

"We needed a win, we needed to find a way whether it was ugly, pretty, amazing or dogged football.

"I thought we had a mixture of everything.

"There was good fluency at times but we also showed some grit and got the win.

"You could see in the celebrations that everyone was buzzing, you could see how much it meant to the lads."

Rutherford wants to build on that result but he knows that mid-table Solihull, again expected to challenge for promotion, will provide a tricky test.

"Solihull are a very organised, hard working, solid team," said Rutherford.

"They are physical but they have got a lot of quality as well.

"It is going to be a real battle for us and first and foremost, you have got to stand up and be counted.

"Make sure you roll your sleeves up, work hard and compete against them.

"It will be a good test regardless of where they are in the league; they will bring everything they have got because they want points as much as us."

Wrexham will go into the game buoyed by the weekend win and Rutherford says home form is key to the Reds climbing the table.

"It is a big encouragement," said Rutherford. "It is a big step in the right direction.

"I am not saying we will now win five games on the spin but you have got to win your home games.

"The Racecourse has been a fortress for us over the last two seasons and we need to get back to making it a fortress, and teams knowing they are going to have a tough day here."

Despite a lack of game-time at the start of his fourth season at The Racecourse, Rutherford was disappointed to see Hughes dismissed but says the league table doesn't lie.

"Bryan Hughes was good to work for and it is not nice when a nice person gets the sack but it is a results based industry and where we are in the league isn't good enough," added Rutherford.

"We have to regroup, get behind the same cause and make sure that we get results on the board for this football club."