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Outsider’s may believe, especially if they witnessed the Boxing Day massacre of the Moatmen by a superbly-drilled and talented Atherstone, that there’s no way Rovers can pull themselves back into contention.

Northwood takes an opposite view. “We gave them three bad goals in the first half of that game and after half time didn’t give them a shot apart from one that Mark Bromley cleared off the line. We’ve still got to play them again at their ground and we’ve a game in hand. The season is only just past half way so there’s everything to play for yet.”

Northwood feels he has less to fear from the other side currently standing in Rovers’ title path, Oldbury United.

Swallowing the disappointment of Saturday’s game at Rushall being called off because of a frozen pitch – Northwood had hoped to “get one or two things sorted out after the defeat at Warrington” – the Gresley boss took the opportunity to go on a spying mission to the home of second placed Oldbury United.

“I wasn’t very impressed. We’ve certainly got nothing to fear from them – and, of course we’ve still got to play them twice in the league this season.”

Nonetheless, Northwood concedes that his team has problems with defence the main area of concern – hence the recent attempts to deal in the transfer market.

Wednesfield, though, were determined to make things a difficult as possible over the Beattie transfer and, once Rovers had given seven day’s notice of their intention to go in for the former Wolves right back, promptly signed the player on a contract – the upshot being that they could then charge a fee for his release.

“I’m working on one or two things at the moment and Beattie is just one of them,” says Northwood. “The lad’s a very good player – the sort of quality we want at Gresley – and he wants away from Wednesfield. He could certainly help us improve our defensive record. We’re letting in a goal a game.”