SIX games - six wins! 11 goals for and just two against. These statistics speak for themselves and make the Boxing Day Devon debacle seem far away.

At the start of the year many were asking questions about both squad and manager. Were they good enough!? Now they know the answer! It is an emphatic yes to both!

Many have views about Sir Alex Ferguson, but there are two certainties. One is that he was successful the other that he was the undisputed Old Trafford boss. Cannot the same be said of New Lawn boss Ady Pennock? I do not think it is stretching the comparison too far.

One thing I learned in 10 years at the top in cricket management is that the manager or head coach must be in charge and must be backed. We did that with John Bracewell.

Stroud News and Journal:

 

One player who opposed him an international one left the club, never to play first-class cricket again.

Bracewell led us to six cup wins and one limited overs title. If the head honcho is challenged you get anarchy, as the season at Chelsea clearly shows. Hire a good man and back him. This is clearly happening at the New Lawn.

The comparison with Sir A. can be taken further. We used to have "Fergie time" now we have the "Pennock Pendulum" while it is swinging we always have a chance. A victory was earned at the last-minute on an energy sapping Southport pitch.

The resilience and determination of our side saw Macclesfield finally vanquished. We were not fluent on Saturday and it took a long time for our aerial dominance to count. There were five free headers in the first half and we could have had five goals, two coming very early in the game. However, ex-FGR loanee George Pilkington organised the Macclesfield defence so well we had little to offer on the ground.

Fresh legs had been brought in to give Jon Parkin and Darren Carter a rest, but hard as they tried Kurtis Guthrie (our Southport hero) and Brett Williams lacked the know how of Jon and Darren. The latter two are key men in our 4-2-3-1 formation and without them on Saturday there was a lack of focus in our play.

Team spirit, character and resilience was to see us through however, helped by some inevitable and yet again successful, substitutions, which could perhaps been made a little earlier. The momentous last ten minutes thrilled us all. The pendulum kept swinging long enough for us to tick off another three points.

Good business has been done in the transfer window. Two good young players (Moore and Jefford) have been signed. They are not stop-gaps, but quality players with a good future ahead of them, Aden Baldwin's move is a good one for all concerned.

A brutal fixture list means we now face six away games, interspersed by just two home fixtures. The promotion journey is as previously mentioned just like driving up the "W". Uphill all the way with plenty of twists and turns, but very rewarding when we get there. I am sure we have the driver to take us to our destination.

Most of us believe that also, but on leaving the ground Saturday I met two gracious supporters who suggested we were top "despite Ady, not because of him". I hope I was not rude gentlemen and I would like to carry on our conversation. See you at the Eastleigh game.