Rene Meulensteen was delighted to guide Fulham to a first win under his management on Sunday.
The Cottagers defeated Aston Villa 2-0 at home thanks to first-half goals from Steve Sidwell and Dimitar Berbatov and the Dutchman, who took the reins from Martin Jol late last month, was in a buoyant mood after a much-needed victory.
"I think we set ourselves a marker last Wednesday and we wanted to build from that - that's why there weren't a lot of changes and the players lived up to that expectation and deserved the three points," Meulensteen told Sky Sports.
"The way you start every game is key, I think it is very hard if you don't really start sharp it is very hard to get back into the game."
He added: "I think it typifies really and sums up both performances (since Meulensteen took over).
"It is always hard when teams go through tough patches, you have to dig deep which they did and the goal he (Sidwell) scored was just sheer determination and a fantastic finish."
Fulham now sit 18th on the Premier League table with 13 points from 15 matches, equal with second-bottom Crystal Palace, and five points clear of Sunderland who hold up the rest of the competition.
