Job done. Points bagged. As simple and straight-forward as that.

When Roy Keane signed up for a tour of duty at IP1, it was always going to be a roller-coaster of an affair.

A Tuesday night horror show in Peterborough was enough to ride rough-shod over any green shoots of a recovery.

Alf and the Faithful are a patient breed, but that was pushing it.

So a trip to fellow strugglers, Sheffield Wednesday was just another ‘must win six-pointer’ in the big scheme called the scrap at the wrong end of the Championship.

For a massive stadium, steeped in history for all the wrong reasons, Hillsborough is a hard place to find.

It’s not helped by the fact that Sheffield is sited on rolling hills. Imagine building a city in the Peak District and you’d be there.

Still when Alf and his mate parked up, it’s still an impressive site. Forged with local steel surrounded by terraces, that haven’t changed a jot.

Compare that to the Town team. League debuts for Shane O’Connor and Brian Murphy in goal. David Wright returned alongside one Carlos Edwards who’d flown in from Siberia.

That gave Alf’s Blarney Army a total of seven from across the Irish Sea, with two up Roy’s sleeve.

In truth it wasn’t the best game that Alf’s seen. A few too many long balls hit in hope.

Coupled with a fairly awful Wednesday side made sure it wasn’t for the purists.

‘Worst performance in 57 years,’ barked someone behind Alf.

Alf checked his watch – it was ten past three.

With his tongue sticking out of his cheek, it was Essex cricketer and after-dinner raconteur, Mr Ray East.

Ray knew the quality of the game meant Jack. It’s the points stupid.

A couple of minutes later and one Carlos Edwards, fresh out of the freezer shot Town into the lead with a rasping shot.

At Hillsborough, you silence a brass band – not the crowd.

Mid-way through the second half, four cornets and a tuba were seen exiting.

Unlike the Posh Affair, when Town didn’t have a gear marked ‘recovery’ after their second-half collapse, this time the Boys never looked like losing.

Honest.

Roy got his tactics right. He stuck with the team he sent out and only made a substitution, when the clock needed running down.

There’s a first for everything then, Alf?

Town even managed to answer the latest conundrum – yes they can do a second-half.

Mind you they did come out early and go through a mini-warm-up, but alas no ladder.

The second-half passed with Town playing within themselves and Wednesday with a crowd on their backs.

New lad O’Connor looked comfortable at the problematical left-back perch and B. Murphy looked a busy, confident type of ‘keeper, pulling off a couple of good saves.

In-front of him, the minor revelation that is the pairing of Delaney and McAuley coped easily enough with long balls sent straight down their throats.

In fairness, a Tudgay shot onto the Town bar was the sum total of Wednesday’s threat.

In the middle of the park, Leadbitter, Norris and the impressive Jack Colback kept the Town engine ticking, with Edwards switching flanks for fun still on a high after his first goal for the club.

Up-front the new pairing of Walters and D. Murphy gave Town the muscle option, which on a sticky pitch was the better option.

D.Murphy has given Town that turn of pace matched with brawn – fairly handy Championship ingredients.

With Town looking more Volvo than Masserati, they sent 1,000 loyal followers and Alf home happy for once.

Job done.