Downham Town manager Craig Dickson hailed his side’s electric first-half performance after they produced a devastating attacking display to secure a 5-2 victory at Ely City and maintain their unbeaten league record.

Town were in irresistible form at the Demcom Stadium on Tuesday night, racing into a remarkable 5-1 half-time lead in their Premier Division encounter.

Two goals from Shaun Avis, along with efforts from Matthew Castellan, Tob iloba Lawal and Eoin Connolly McQuaid, did the damage as Downham took their chances ruthlessly in front of a crowd of 153.

And Dickson was understandably delighted with the way his players went about their business.

“Yeah, 100 per cent, I would have taken that before kick-off,” he said.

“I think we started the game really well. We scored after about 45 seconds, didn’t we?

“Obviously, we conceded straight after, but to be fair to them, it was a really well-worked goal and a great header. I don’t think we were tight enough to him.

“But we went in 5-1 up at half-time and looked a constant threat every time we went forward.

“There have been a lot of games this season where we haven’t taken our chances, but tonight we really punished them in the first half.”

Dickson also revealed that a tactical change had played a significant part in Downham’s attacking success, with a different formation allowing his side to commit more players forward.

“We tried something a little different,” he explained.

“I won’t reveal too much about that, but I think it worked really well against their formation and allowed us to get more bodies into the box.

“It’s something we’ve been speaking about for a few weeks, and we finally had the right players available to play in the right positions to try it.

“I think it worked.”

The victory was all the more impressive given Downham’s inability to field a settled starting line-up this season.

Injuries, suspensions and player availability have regularly forced changes, but Dickson believes the strength and character of his squad have enabled them to maintain their impressive form.

“We haven’t really been able to get a consistent line-up throughout the season, whether that’s been down to suspensions, injuries or just players’ availability,” he said.

“Obviously, it’s nice to have a settled starting 11, but I think it shows the quality in our squad that we’re in the position we are, despite the changes we’ve had to make.

“I think players’ performances have forced our hand at times as well, in terms of making different changes.

“I’m just really happy with the group we’ve got.”

And while the goals and attacking football understandably caught the eye, Dickson was equally keen to highlight the togetherness within his squad.

He believes that team spirit has been a major factor in Downham’s unbeaten start to the league campaign.

“We went out in Norwich a few weeks ago, all the players did, and the feedback I’ve had is that they’re a real group. There’s a real togetherness about them,” he said.

“That’s something I think is so important because you’re going to go through hard times during a season.

“When the boys have got each other’s backs, I think that pays dividends.

“There have been a few occasions this season. At Wisbech at home, for example, we went down to ten men when it was still 0-0 and came away with a 2-0 win.

“Even in the first game of the season, we weren’t at our best, but we dug out a point.

“The fact we’re unbeaten so far this season is probably down to that group’s mentality and their willingness to fight for each other.

“Sometimes you say that’s the bare minimum, but you don’t always get that in football these days.”

Dickson also praised the work being done alongside his management colleagues, insisting that building a squad with the right attitude has been just as important as any tactical instructions.

“Dunc (Duncan McAnally), Birdy (Simon Bird) and I like to think we don’t actually have to do a lot,” he said.

“We put 11 players on the pitch, give them very simple instructions, and we’ve built a group who want to play with each other and fight for each other.

“That’s how simple football is, really.

“It’s about having the right characters and the right quality of players, which we’ve managed to find after what was probably quite a difficult pre-season, with the number of players we lost.”

Despite the emphatic scoreline, Dickson was reluctant to single out individuals following what he considered an outstanding collective performance.

However, one player did earn a special mention.

“I went in at half-time and said that to the boys,” he said.

“I praised each one of them individually, almost accidentally, because I thought we were electric in the first half. I thought we were brilliant.

“Across the night, if I had to choose one, I’d probably give it to Luke Reed.

“I thought he was brilliant in the heart of the midfield.

“Even in the dying minutes, he was still pressing and giving everything, which he’s always done from the minute he arrived at this club.

“He’s one of my favourite players because I can play him pretty much anywhere on the pitch and I know he’s going to give me everything.”

The result keeps Downham’s unbeaten league record intact, although Dickson knows there is still plenty of football to be played before his side can start thinking about what they might achieve this season.

“Obviously, we’re proud of that,” he added.

“It won’t mean anything at the end of the season if we don’t achieve what we set out to achieve.

“But it’s a solid start. That’s what I’d say.

“There’s still a long way to go in the season, but it’s a very solid start.”