AS one of Grimsby Town's more seasoned campaigners, Shaun Pearson is well-placed to give his take on his side's half-term report.
After 23 games of this season, the Mariners sit second – six points off leaders Barnet ahead of tomorrow's trip to Telford (3pm).
This time two years ago, Pearson and co were sitting pretty at the top of the table after making their joint-best start to a Conference campaign.
Back then, they led the way on 43 points – the same haul accrued at the half-way point last term – before eventually falling by the wayside and losing to Newport County in the Play-Offs.
And after that experience, Pearson appreciates it's not how you start, but how you finish a campaign that really matters.
The centre-half, who's in line to make his 125th league appearance for the Mariners tomorrow, recalls the 2012/13 season, when Cambridge United looked certain to take the title before Mansfield's stunning surge saw them steal away the silverware.
He told the Telegraph: "We didn't have the best of starts to the season, but we got on a good run and we've put ourselves in a good position.
"It was frustrating at the start of the season because I was saying to my missus and my family that this was the strongest squad we've had since I've been here.
"But then obviously we didn't get off to the best of starts and they we're saying 'I thought you said you we're going to be up there?!'
"Thankfully, we're starting to show what this squad can be achieved and I still believe this is the best squad we've had since I joined – you only have to look at the strength of the bench and the quality of the lads sat in the stands to see that.
"Hopefully that will pay dividends after Christmas and rather than dwindling away, we can be the team that has that late surge and really make a serious challenge to hopefully win it.
"There haven't been that many teams that have run away with this league in recent years and whoever has the better second half of the season tends to go on and win it – look at Mansfield for example.
"Barnet are by no means running away with this and we can soon reel them in. I think they've got a couple of tough games coming up and a few teams, including us, are thinking that we can close the gap.
"Going again at Telford before having a bit of a break from the league, coming back strongly after then and then mounting a serious title challenge."
Pearson insists tomorrow's trip to the rock-bottom Bucks' is trickier than it may appear to those outside the club – pointing to the scalps taken by Liam Watson's men against some of Town's promotion rivals.
He added: "People might look at where the two teams are and think that it's a forgone conclusion tomorrow, but it's far from that. Telford beat Torquay and drew with Barnet earlier in the season – that tells you all you need to know.
"This season, anyone can take points off anyone. Our win over Woking in midweek was a big three points for us and it sets us up well for tomorrow.
"It was all about getting back to the kind of performances that we were putting in before the Altrincham game and it was good to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible – now it's about making sure we keep that going at Telford.
"The last couple of results before that game had been really frustrating and so it was great to get back on it against Woking – who are up there with us towards the top.
"Hopefully we proved that it was just a blip. You look at every team in the league and while Barnet have probably been more consistent than the rest, most other teams have dropped daft points here and there.
"Tuesday's win went a bit of the way to cementing our place in that top five – it was a big three points and opened up a little bit of a gap again but we've got to go again tomorrow.
"After Telford, we might have three weeks without a league game potentially and other teams will be playing and have the opportunity to make ground and go above us, so it was important."
Barring suspensions, Pearson has been a virtual ever-present in the side, partnering Toto Nsiala at the heart of a defence that has once against proved itself as one of the Conference's most miserly.
He added: "Personally, I feel good so far. As a team, we've got a good defensive record, which I'm proud of, although Macclesfield have gone slightly above us in that respect.
"Me and Toto struggled a little bit but once we got a couple of games under our belts, I feel as though we've done well alongside Carl Magnay and Aswad Thomas or Danny Parslow.
"Hopefully we can carry that on and help the team to achieve what we want this season."
