by Steve Bugg

IT was almost a surreal moment when it came.

Exuberant celebrations replaced by contented cheer.

The relief was palpable, as we learnt that a late Thetford equaliser against Wivenhoe had guaranteed us premier division football next term.

Of course, we’d had to do our own job first.

It was, in many ways, a strange afternoon.

Kick-off in Wivenhoe’s match had been delayed until 3.13pm after one of the referee’s assistants was injured in the pre-match warm up at Mundford Road.

So even before our game began, we knew we’d be waiting until long after the final whistle to discover whether things were destined to go right down to the wire.

Truth be told, many of us expected them to do just that.

With Wivenhoe a goal to the good as proceedings came to a close at the Bowl, we’d have been right, too.

Victory for both ourselves and the Dragons would have led to a three-way scrap for survival on the final day.

But as we gathered in the clubhouse, smartphones in one hand and pints in the other, the moment arrived.

The news that Thetford had scored.

Minutes seemed like hours as we waited for the full-time score from Norfolk.

Could this really be our day?

Surely we couldn’t do things this easily?

It felt like there was yet another twist in the relegation battle still to come.

But our fears proved unfounded, as the news of the Wivenhoe result came through and the promise of top-flight football for next season was realised.

No sense of euphoria, but that of a job well done.

A cracking achievement over the last eight games, perhaps tempered slightly by the knowledge of what had gone before.

But that is not to take away from something that should allow the squad to really push on.

The boys have shown what they are capable of.

The challenge now will be to maintain those standards in the months to come.

So another rollercoaster season is soon to draw to a close.

I’d settle for some stability next term! How about it anyone?

Come on you Seasiders!