King’s Lynn Town’s survival mission has received a massive shot in the arm in recent weeks.

They have a striker in Jonny Margetts who, with six goals in his last four games, seemingly can’t put a foot wrong, and a defence which has tightened up considerably as the season has progressed.

In the first 20 games, Lynn conceded 33 goals and had one clean sheet. In the following 19, they have conceded 23 goals and had six clean sheets. They are now 16th in the National League North table and looking forward with more optimism than trepidation.

It’s all a marked improvement – and one which will be put to the most stringent of tests when champions-elect Tamworth head to west Norfolk on Saturday for a game that will be screened live by TNT Sports (kick-off 12.30pm).

The Lambs are three wins away from guaranteed promotion, but it’s not as if they have done it by smashing everyone out of sight: their tally of 63 goals is bettered by three other teams. But they are miserly at the back, with just 22 conceded. Winning margins of one goal litter their results column… but 26 wins out of 40 games tells the story.

It is, as they say in football, a big ask for Lynn, although they will look at the big home win over then leaders Scunthorpe at The Walks in November and know that upsets are possible.

Adam Lakeland has repeatedly made the point that predicting results in the National League North is a mug’s game.

His interest will be on the discipline and hard work that has taken Lynn closer to safety after nine games unbeaten - and how you jump from a win at already relegated Bishop’s Stortford in midweek to a game against the runaway leaders four days later.

“We've put a lot in physically, emotionally, into the last few games - every game, but certainly the last few. I think Blyth, Rushall and today (Bishop’s Stortford) are massive games, with lots and lots of pressure on both teams in those fixtures,” said Lakeland.

“But I think with us being full-time I think there's more pressure on us because everybody expects us to be higher than where we are and better than what we are and at the end of the day, this is our livelihoods.

“So there is more pressure on us naturally, which is fine, but I think the lads have put that much into these massive, massive games, and they deserve all the credit in the world, because that's nine points from those three fixtures alone, and that's one defeat now in 12 which is phenomenal, really, in this league and the players deserve a lot of credit for that.”]

If Tamworth wasn’t difficult enough then next week it’s a trip to second-placed Scunthorpe.

“Obviously, two massive games where probably for the first time in a number of weeks the pressure is on the opposition because those two are the top two,” said Lakeland. “They've been the best two teams in the division all season so far, and they are tussling for the title and for securing second place, so it will be nice for us to go into those games with probably more pressure on the opposition. We can go in and have a right good go.

“We want to try and keep this run of good form going - so bring it on.”