When Kevin Burgess says that the character in this current Darlo team is frightening, it’s not hard to see how he’s formed that opinion. Never mind all of the times said character was called upon last season, it was on full display over the bank holiday weekend.

Whether it was clawing goals back against a spirited Alfreton side or going on to secure three points at FC United when the win appeared to have been thrown away, there is a never say die spirit in the camp. Martin Gray will usually take the credit for that attitude but it is as much to do with the type of men Gray brings in (and keeps!) as it’s to do with the input from the manager.

Despite the team spirit in the dressing room, sometimes the challenges faced can still be insurmountable, such as giving Alfreton a three goal lead to defend. After the Alfreton game, Martin Gray spoke of demanding an improvement in defending. Whilst he will have been delighted by the side bouncing back to win in Manchester, I’m sure he won’t be happy with conceding two goals.

Six goals conceded in two games isn’t great but it usually balances itself out over the season. Having conceded on average less than a goal a game during each of the last four seasons, I’m sure Martin Gray will be hoping for a bit more solidity. With that in mind, I’m finding it a bit odd that the manager is persisting with a clearly lame Peter Jameson in goal.

I am a big Peter Jameson fan. Whilst some find fault with the lad, he was quietly superb last season, barely putting a foot wrong all year. He’s a big part of what makes this Darlo side tick. However, struggling with mobility and not being comfortable kicking the ball from the ground, you can see his injury having a tangible effect on his teammates. Whether it’s a hesitance to play the ball back to him or getting out of shape due to defenders having to take goal kicks, this situation shows no sign of improving.

Now I’m not a physiotherapist but even a lay person can appreciate that continuing to play with a strained or damage muscle isn’t the usual route to recovery. Surely, there are only two outcomes from this point forward. Either Jameson continues indefinitely to play hamstrung by injury, affecting the whole team as well as himself or whatever he’s pulled goes ping and he misses weeks if not a couple of months. Surely a manager gunning for the playoffs at least wouldn’t countenance either of those options and yet that’s where we appear to be.

I’m generally an ‘in Martin we trust’ kind person so for the time being, we have to believe that he is in control of the situation and that it will rectify itself in the coming weeks. However, anyone who has seen Peter Jameson in recent weeks will find it hard to believe that it will simply rectify itself.

Injuries aside, we welcome yet another familiar name along to Heritage Park on Friday night with the visit of Kidderminster Harriers. A full time outfit, expectations for this season flew through the roof following their six-one win at Curzon Ashton on the opening day of the season. However, Kidderminster have settle down in to a solid pattern and sit in the final playoff place in the embryonic table, a place and two points behind us.

It’s going to be a tough game to call this one. Whilst Kidderminster will have a long coach journey to face on the day, their players won’t have work to worry about on Friday. Throw in our injured keeper and subsequent shaky defence and this game could go either way.