Kettering Town smash struggling Glassboys for five as they restart their season
Kettering Town bloomed in the murky conditions of Latimer Park to put five goals past the visiting Stourbridge to complete a near perfect second half performance and stop the rot in their Pitching In Southern League Premier Central form.
Any sensible fan will know that one win doesn't make a season, especially when you consider that opposition Stourbridge are in dire straits at the moment, with their very existence in question due to issues over their War Memorial Ground.
But if debutant Eddie Panter is the type of player that Liam McDonald is going to coax to Latimer Park, then maybe the season isn't over just yet?
Signing on from last season's league champions Bedford Town for an undisclosed fee late last week, Panter became an immediate hero.
Nuggetty, offensively minded, running through brick walls - from minute one his endeavor to drag his side up the field and offer support to James Clifton was plain to see and Kettering looked threatening every time he was involved in an attack.
Panter could have made a dream start on just nine minutes when a cross from the right sent in by Clifton flashed across goal and he was unable to get the toenail needed to turn it in.
Stourbridge rarely threatened Kettering's penalty area and were reduced to long range efforts - Jack Fletcher's shot was well blocked by Lewis Coyle whilst a free kick from 22 yards out was sent high and wide by Jai Verma on the half hour mark.
Despite a staunch defence from Stourbridge in the first half, they were unable to keep their hosts at bay in the second with Kettering finding extra gears and finally starting to click as a squad.
A cross from the right side on 50 minutes was met by a lobbed shot from Clifton with possibly a Stourbridge shirt helping the ball into the net.
Nine minutes later Kai Williams, who had had a much better game playing behind the front two, received the ball in the centre of the pitch and opted to shoot from 20 yards out - the low drive squirming under Charles Price and into the bottom corner.
Two became three on 64 minutes when Williams turned provider - driving from the byline towards Price before placing a perfect cut back for Panter to turn home from just yards out.
By now it was one way traffic and Kettering's fourth came on 74 minutes.
Ismael Fatadjo's corner was pinpoint perfect for Levi Andoh's bullet like header to defy Price. A final cherry was added with nine minutes to go when substitute Callum Powell benefitted from a deflected shot to fall in his path, and he finished with precision from a tight angle.
It wasn't all Kettering's way with Blaine Rowe needing to clear an in swinging corner off the line on 76 minutes whilst Jason Alexander needed to produce a fine save to instinctively parry Aaron Bishop's header over the bar minutes before the final whistle.
Manager McDonald showed incredible class at full time, walking over to applaud the visiting fans that chanted his name just months prior.
There are parallels between Stourbridge's plight and the Poppies, with another famous non-league ground threatened and years of history torn down.
But for Kettering to salvage anything from this season, sentimentality needs to be set to one side and the same ruthlessness shown in December, which ends with a trip to title favourites and local rivals Harborough Town.