SO, we’re not quite done with Heritage Park just yet. Following the [insert random trade supplier] FA Trophy draw, we will make one further trip up the A68 to play Marine. Hopefully, last Saturday’s draw with Fylde was our last league match there and it was a fitting occasion.

I’d imagine any neutrals in the conveniently just below capacity crowd of 2,001 would have left thinking they’d seen the best two teams in the division. What they would be a little unclear about is which team was four points clear.

When Danny Rowe drove the ball in to the corner of Peter Jameson’s net, I’ll be honest and say I was a little worried. While Fylde hadn’t created many clear chances, you could see in their movement and passing that they are a quality side. Having banged in a million goals in the first three months of the season, Rowe showed his class and technique when presented with half a chance.

The equaliser just before half-time brought relief as much as outright joy. Fylde probably just about shaded the first half, but to go in level changed the flow of the game. What happened in the second half was an outright onslaught. Corners, free-kicks, pace, power; it was the full array of what we’re about. Cast aside was the anaemic performance at Tamworth; this was 100 per cent swashbuckle.

During our four and a half years at Heritage Park, there’s been nothing more thrilling than when we’ve had sides pinned in under the Tin Shed. Many sides have been trapped in that rock and a hard place; in front of them, the marauding Darlo attack, behind them, the Tin Shed baying for blood. There’s not been many teams to survive that cauldron. It is to Fylde’s credit that they did. Fylde are probably alongside Kidderminster as the best two teams to have come north so far this season and it’s no coincidence they both withstood a 45-minute barrage to take something back home.

Having a last-minute winner ruled out for offside was the only downside on what was an exciting and dramatic way to hopefully draw a curtain on our league history at Bishop. At the start of the season, I suspect I was in the minority thinking we would be knocking around the top of the league. Most Darlo fans seemed quite content with a top half finish and maybe an outsider challenge for the playoffs. From what we’ve seen so far this season, and in particular on Saturday, I don’t think anyone could be in any doubt that Martin Gray doesn’t want to be in the supporting cast. We may not be as well-funded as the likes of Fylde, Harrogate or Halifax but what we lack in cold hard cash, we more than make up for in sheer desire and will to win.

With the exception of the result and performance at Tamworth, we have been well worth our results and league position of late. Hopefully, we can take the second half performance from last Saturday and build on it this coming Saturday at AFC Telford United. Without wishing to sound too disrespectful of our hosts who are going through some pretty severe financial problems at the moment, it is a game that we should be winning. If we have managed to get Tamworth out of our system, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be three points better off come the final whistle.