I’VE been following Darlo for the vast majority of my 36 years. The early days were pretty good. Despite relegation to the Conference in 1989, two titles on the bounce was a great way to catch the Darlo bug. It was also a bit of a misrepresentation as the next 20 years was nothing but mediocrity or dreaming of mediocrity interspersed with brief forays with the playoffs.

I’m sure most fans of a similar vintage would recognise my experience. After four and a bit years under the guidance of Martin Gray, I think I’m almost at the point where I’ve pocketed more positive memories than the 24 years prior. Such is Gray’s ability to keep pushing his side to new levels means it’s almost guaranteed that wonderful memories such as Saturday’s victory at Harrogate Town will continue to flow.

For the whole game, the hairs on my arms were stood as proudly as I was as the purple power of our midfield made a near-full time outfit look pretty ordinary. No matter which way I looked, my heart was filled with pride, warmth and joy as our Darlo, a fan-owned club that some bald-headed over-opinionated ex-Boro right back said wouldn’t fly, sleighed their latest sugar daddy-backed club.

If events on the pitch were special, the packed Sterling Motors Stand (other second-hand motor dealerships in the Weatherby area are available) once again showed the Mills and Craddocks of this world that the interest in our club is there and growing.

The early goal certainly helped but you could see we were up for the game. With a midfield four that is quite possibly the closest thing to a Rolls Royce in the semi-professional game, presenting them with a lovely slick playing surface was possibly the worst thing Harrogate could have done. The speed and precision of our counter attacks was something most teams would have been unable to cope with.

Chief tormentor was Josh Gillies. I’ll be honest, I’m still struggling to understand how on earth we managed to bring him to the club, let alone tie him down to a two and a half year contract. That he’s playing in the National League North is a crime against football. If we can keep him fit and in form between now and the end of the season, I think we will be right in the mix for the league title, such is his influence.

On the opposite side of the pitch, Stephen Thompson seems to be showing his full worth on a more consistent basis. I’ve always thought Thompson looked a bit more productive on the right and that seems to be the case during this current purple patch.

The only downside of the day was seeing both Gillies and the wonderfully effective Liam Marrs withdraw early due to (hopefully) minor injuries. Hopefully, they will quickly recover and take their place in the side on Saturday at Tamworth.

With the squad continuously being improved by Martin Gray, it’s getting hard to think where there’s an obvious need for improvement. With our first choice defence now looking settled and reasonably solid, a midfield full of quality and the forward line working well, I think Gray has really stepped up to the plate and given us a team we can believe in. More importantly, with our seminal return to the town now just a matter of weeks away, Gray and his charges are doing everything they possibly could do to attract new and old fans in to the fold. What more could we ask for?