Chief executive Dave Baldwin revealed that the game against Bury was in danger of not going ahead after major damage to the mains water pipe under the Midland Road Stand.

The thaw in temperatures had led to emergency work being needed on New Year’s Eve and Baldwin said: “The mains pipe to the stand basically blew and disintegrated.

“Thankfully one of our sponsors, Mitton Mechanical Services, sent their whole team out night and day and replaced all the piping under the stadium.

“Had that not happened, the game potentially could not have gone ahead.”