Robbie Harris has described Fakenham Town’s consolidation of their Thurlow Nunn Premier Division status in 2014/15 as a massive achievement, writes Gareth Davis.

The Ghosts ended their first campaign back in the top flight for a decade by finishing 13th having won promotion as First Division runners-up 12 months ago.

Harris has been there every step of the way, joining Fakenham in the summer of 2013 before bagging 26 goals on the way to that promotion success – and then adding 14 more this season while also stepping into a joint caretaker manager role alongside coach Neil Jarvis following the March departure of previous boss Wayne Anderson.

And the 31-year-old striker said: “Credit to the club, it’s a good place to play at and the lads are brilliant here.

“I’ve known some of them from playing with them previously and I’ve known of a few of them as well, and they have given everything in these last two years.

“Last year was a fantastic season to get promoted with the budget we have got, but everyone played to their maximum and to win promotion was brilliant for the players and the club.

“It’s not an easy league to get out of. I have managed to win two leagues previously and apart from that I’ve not really come close, and not many players go through their careers and win promotions.

“To get out of the league we were in, I don’t think many people realise just how good an achievement it was.

“This season we have more than held our own and to keep clean sheets away from home at all of the top three (Norwich United, Godmanchester Rovers and Stanway Rovers) was massive.

“We have had our ups and downs, which you’re going to get in the first year in the league, we have conceded some really bad goals but we have also dug really deep and got some really good results.

“To finish just below mid-table, if someone had offered us that before the start of the season we would definitely have taken it.”

Fakenham’s managerial situation is still to be resolved but Harris, a former King’s Lynn player, who is among the contenders, says his time in the caretaker capacity has given him a taste for the top job.

He added: “I’ve really enjoyed it. It is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and it was nice to get the opportunity to see if I’d like to do it on a permanent basis.

“The lads really took to it as well. Sometimes it can be hard having a player step in but they took to it really well.

“Jarvo has been about, he has done it all before and he knows his stuff, so it was nice to learn from him.

“We worked well together and steadied the ship. A few results went our way, a few went against

us, but the lads played well for us.”