The Stanley fans were singing ‘I just can’t get enough’ at end of the victory over Burton – and it’s no wonder.
The Reds just can’t seem to lose at the moment and watching them has sparked memories of the Conference-winning season and last season’s play-off charge and renewed belief that John Coleman’s side can, perhaps, go one step further this season.
Ten games ago it wasn’t quite doom and gloom but a new-look and somewhat disjointed Stanley side were struggling to gel properly and were anxiously looking over their shoulder at the drop zone.
Their worries after the games were seeing what the likes of strugglers Hereford, Barnet and Plymouth had done.
Fast forward 10 matches and the Reds are looking up and are now more worried about the results Crawley, Southend and Swindon are achieving.
It has been a big turnaround at the Crown Ground with a 10- game unbeaten run and beating play-off candidates Burton on their home turf on Friday showed the Reds really mean business.
They did have some luck – which had perhaps been absent in a hit-and-miss start to the campaign – with a deflected goal and an own goal but, as Coleman says, you often need that bit of luck and he gladly accepts it.
"There’s not doubt Burton were a scalp," said Coleman, after Friday’s victory. "Burton have been magnificent at home this season and scored lot of goals.
"But every time we win, every win is as important as the last one and the next win is going to be as important as this.
"There won’t be many teams who come here and win so it is a big victory but beating Macclesfield before that was a big win.
"Every game in this league is big and you have got to remain focused and realise the importance of each win.
"That’s the mentality you have got to have, you have got to be delighted with every time you are successful as, in this game, you have a lot of downs and so you have got to enjoy the good times."
He continued: "I know they had players missing but we had players missing too.
"Kevin Long has been the mainstay of our defence this season but he has returned to Burnley and Toto has come in and done smashing and Tom Bender has come on and done really well too."
Ex-Red – and the Brewers’ top scorer – Billy Kee was out with a groin injury while Everton loanee Toto Nsiala made his debut in the heart of the Stanley defence.
He competed well, picked up a harsh booking as he and Calvin Zola tried to outmuscle each other and then ended up in Derby hospital after headbutting the back of Zola’s head while challenging for a ball – but was sent home the following morning.
Fellow loan man Bender knows all about bumps to the head and he came on for Nsiala and slotted in perfectly as the Reds kept a welcome clean sheet in a game where they were exceptional after the break.
In the first half the game could have gone either way with Brewers’ front pairing of Zola and Justin Richards a handful, while wide man Chris Palmer blazed over when unmarked.
However Micah Evans’ pace was proving tricky for the Burton defence and he was obstructed, winning a free kick on the edge of the box which Kevin McIntyre fired home, despite a deflection, for his first Stanley goal.
If that was a bit of luck the Reds needed then it was a bit of skill that stopped Paul Peschisolido’s side replying immediately as Richards was unmarked and should have scored, forcing a point-blank save out of Stanley stopper Ian Dunbavin.
The game was then an end-to-end affair for a while, Padraig Amond beating the off-side trap but was well wide while a Palmer free kick was fingertipped over by Dunbavin and Zola fired a free header wide. It seemed like it would be just as close after the break as Burton looked to bounce back from a home defeat to Hereford last time out.
But instead the Reds ran the show, the unmarked Amond firing wide before the visitors were denied what looked a clear penalty for a tackle on Bryan Hughes – meaning the Reds still haven’t been awarded a penalty this season.
Stanley piled on the pressure and, from this, they forced a mistake.
A Craig Lindfield corner found the head of Burton’s Ryan Austin. The ball looped up and all home keeper Ross Atkins could do was help scramble it into his own net.
After that, the Reds kept possession and never let Burton settle on the ball with Peschisolido’s three substitutions making little difference.
At the end, the Stanley players celebrated with the dancing fans like they had won the league – and Coleman said this season is bearing similarities to the Conference-winning campaign of 2005/06. He said: "The year we won the Conference we went out of the FA¿Cup early and it left us concentrating on the league quite early – and it’s following a similar line.
"Maybe we are just short of what we were in the Conference days as regards to how we are threatening up top but the lads have the bit between their teeth and they are full of condidence.
"You can see the confidence oozing out of them in training and they knew we hadn’t been at our best over the Christmas period but we were resilient.
"If you are not playing well you have to be resilient and it means when you do play well you stand a very good chance of picking up more points."
He continued: "I am pleased to have won. I went on record as saying I don’t think we have played well in the last three games but took seven points.
"At Burton, though, we were magnificent from start to finish.
"The second half was as good as we have played in a long time, certainly this season. We showed a great appetite, a great will to win, a great deal of ability, energy and fitness and as a manager you can’t ask for much more.
"We looked strong all night apart from one or two lapses which we made ourselves.
"Bavs has made a magnificent save and if that goes in it could be a different game.
"We have been on the wrong end of them in the past but that’s what keepers are paid to do but we have defended really well and limited their chances.
"We had a little bit of luck with both the goals but, over the 90 minutes, I think we ran out worthy winners."
Coleman will be praying they keep turning on the style, and the luck stays with them well into May.
