When the going gets tough. Is this the result that opened the gate marked path to promotion?

I don’t get to many away games these days. I was in Liverpool last weekend and Wembley and I’ve seen City win at Swindon. You don’t have to be Chris Ashton to know that was either last season or way back when Jamie Forrester got the winner in a game where City were mainly penned back in their own half but snatched the result in an outrageous breakaway, Yep, it was that one.

You’ve got to say, despite all that went on what with the sending’s off and the rights and wrongs of it all, that backs to the wall performance, snatching a point in such unpromising circumstances, that has to take the biscuit when it comes to sheer bloody minded, up against it, never say die, they shall not pass, no surrender belligerence. If you were really in the last chance saloon, that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid moment on the top of that cliff you’d want one of our team holding your hand saying lets jump and you know what? You would. You’d jump for your life and if one of them were with you, or Danny or Nicky or Clive Nates you’d survive. You’d survive because they’d tell you that you were going to.

It’s a tough place to go at the best of times, Swindon. Forget southern softies, they’re not. It’s a hard place to go, ask anyone who’s been. It’s hostile territory, it’s a difficult place to go, to get ahead, to stay ahead, protect your lead. They’re a big club. It’s an impressive stadium at our level. It tells of better times. You go there and you’ve got to be on your mettle because if you’re not they’ll slaughter you.

If you do go there and win there’s no better feeling though, you’ve earned it and if you’ve salvaged a point with two less men, hung on to the bitter end, survived the interminable injury time, kept hold on to what you’ve got you’ve got to feel you can survive anything.

City did that. I believe that result in those circumstances set the wires humming in league two. There were the usual mealy mouthed they’re good at what they do, others are easier on the eye nonsense from a manager knowing he was going to get the biggest test of the season.

As it was it was the Imps biggest test of the season and you know what? They passed it, passed it with flying colours.