IT’S great getting back on the winning trail after our blip on New Year’s Day at Spennymoor Town. There’s nothing better than getting right back on it after defeat and, fortunately, the way the schedule works at this time of year you’re never too far away from the next game.

As disappointing as the defeat at the Brewery Field was, after Saturday’s win over Gloucester City our recent record in all competitions is one defeat in the last seven games. Five of those ended in victory and our solitary draw was the Trophy game away to Solihull Moors, a top National League side. Based on this record, it would appear we are in rude health as we find our feet in 2020.

Like so many games of late, Saturday’s win was definitely a game of two halves. An excellent first 45 followed by a more tentative, sketchy second. It can make for a frustrating and nervy watch.

Gloucester City are not a top side. With the greatest possible respect, they are distinctly average. Our first half performance provided plenty of evidence of the difference in class between the sides. We were confident, we carried a threat and we got two goals which felt like the bare minimum given our extra quality. Everything was rosy as the players trooped off at half time. The second half was less so.

Whatever your views on the referee and why Gloucester ended up getting their initial corner, we allowed them back into the game and we struggled throughout the second half to put a poor side to bed. Obviously, memories of the Telford game at the end of November were swirling around the ground. A 2-0 lead wasn’t enough that afternoon, but fortunately it was on Saturday. If Gloucester had been a better side, we might have had a few more issues, but in reality they never had enough to punish us for our inability finish the game off.

Grinding out these sort of wins when not at our best is clearly a good sign. In the last month or so, we seem to have found a new level of resilience that wasn’t necessarily evident earlier in the season. Even when not at our best, we have enough quality and determination to grind out result.

One thing which might make things a bit easier is if we could find a more reliable source of goals. If you look at the league table, you can see where our weakness is. We simply don’t score enough goals. We create more than enough chances, but we don’t take them. If you look at Saturday’s game, we really should have been three or four up at half time. Such a lead would have made Gloucester’s goal feel a lot less significant. Fingers crossed, the arrival of Gary Martin on loan will help improve our goals for column and make life a little bit easier for the rest of the side.

Finally, props to Saturday’s man of the match Will Hatfield. I’ve got to be honest and say I thought midfield selection looked a little unbalanced, but Hatfield’s energy, work rate and his general Hatfield-ness made it work. It’s hard not to become overly effusive about our midfield general. It’s not too often you get to watch a player week in week out who’s modus operandi is to cover every blade of grass on the pitch – twice.

Hatfield is the beating heart of this side. He puts his body on the line in every game. As we saw on Saturday, the opposition regularly try to take chunks out of him and yet regardless of how badly he gets crunched, he just bounces up, shakes it off and goes again. He is the very model of a modern midfield general. More importantly, he is the perfect antidote to what we had to endure last season.