Well, what was all the fuss about?

Those who doubted whether Eastbourne Borough would be able to cope in non-league’s top flight were not only proved wrongbut made to look a little bit foolish in the end.

Instead of a bitter fight to avoid the drop, Garry Wilson’s men proved to be the Blue Square premier’s surprise packages as they secured their safety by the middle of March.

A look at the final table suggests it was a comfortable ride for the Priory Lane outfit but wind the clock back five months and the picture was very different.

Wilson’s men had won only twice in 13 games as they slid alarmingly towards the relegation zone following a promising start to the season.

Players who had grown used to winning week in, week out during a decade of success at Priory Lane suddenly wondered where their next victory might come from.

It looked like being a very long winter indeed until the arrival of an unknown 19-year-old from Plymouth changed the course of the season.

Ashley Barnes not only scored five goals during his brief stay in Sussex but breathed fresh life into a Borough side which looked to have lost all belief.

Six wins in nine games suddenly lifted Borough away from the drop zone and although Barnes was recalled early by the Pilgrims he left behind a rejuvenated team.

It is hard to understate the impact the Plymouth striker had on Borough’s fortunes but it would also be unfair to suggest this was a one-man effort.

Wilson’s men had already shown they were not out of their depth before Barnes came along with memorable wins over Stevenage, twice, and a hat-trick of consecutive 1-0 victories against Forest Green, Grays and Altrincham.

What Barnes did was remind them that they should not be scared of reputations but there was still a worry that when he left Borough would begin to struggle again.

True Borough did not carry the same threat without him but they found a way to win games they probably would have lost earlier in the season.

Nobody expected them to finish 13th in the table, a staggering 16 points clear of danger, and the remarkable thing is they have done it with the same squad – loan players excepted – which won them promotion from Blue Square south.

Of the four summer signings – Jean-Michel Sigere, Mo Harkin, Chris Winterton and Simon Wormull – only Wormull lasted past Christmas and he failed to nail down a place in the team.

Instead it was veterans like Marc Pullan, Darren Baker and Matt Crabb who led the way as they superbly adapted to the demands of playing against full-time clubs with massive reputations.

The general feeling is that Borough could find it more difficult next season when they do not have the advantage of being an unknown quantity and their ageing squad is a year older.

There is no doubt Wilson will have to strengthen his squad in the summer but you would need to be a brave man to bet against them adding another chapter to the club’s remarkable success story.