06/09/2008 - Silk hails Stags' progress
Gary Silk's early-season form has been a microcosm of Mansfield's - getting better all the time after a less than convincing start.
Just like the rest of his Stags team-mates, the 24-year-old was still finding his feet by the time the first match of the season came around at Ebbsfleet following a summer move from Notts County.
While Mansfield were able to snatch a 2-2 draw in the dying stages in Kent, both the right-back and his side would have been less than delighted with their overall performances, especially in the first half.
But, since then, there has been a steady improvement from Billy McEwan's charges and Silk himself.
So much so that Tuesday night's game at York was, in the eyes of many supporters, the best so far.
Mansfield played some excellent football at Kit Kat Crescent and the former Portsmouth trainee impressed so much he was picked out as man of the match by Setanta television.
Silk believes the Stags are now coming to terms with the task facing them this season.
But that does not mean complacency is about to set in. The player, born on the Isle of Wight, knows the standards have now been set for everyone to meet on a consistent basis.
"I think York are up there as one of the teams favoured to do well in this league and we more than matched them," said Silk.
"We played some good football at times and we have shown with that result that there is no one in this league that we should be scared of.
"I feel like my form is good at the moment and I feel that I am starting to strike up a good relationship with Nathan Arnold down the right.
"The boss tells me just to give him the ball because he is the type of player who can cause a lot of problems at this level.
"But I am aiming to get forward a lot more now to support him, overlap him and get some decent crosses into the box. The more crosses we can get into the box from good positions, the more likely we are to score goals.
"It has been a good start from us, but there is only seven games gone, so we are not about to get carried away.
"But the York game has made us realise that we are capable of beating anyone we play this season on our day if we play well enough."
Coming to Field Mill has taken Silk out of the Football League for the first time in his career.
After graduating through the ranks at Fratton Park, he enjoyed loan spells at Wycombe, Boston and Barnet before heading to Meadow Lane.
But Silk is adamant there is little noticeable difference, other than the surroundings.
He said: "There is not a massive drop in standard. I think from a playing point of view it is pretty similar with most of the teams still full-time.
"I think the most obvious thing is with the grounds. A lot of them at this level are not the greatest, especially those who have not dropped down from the League."
What has impressed Silk at Mansfield is the way his new manager Billy McEwan has gone about his business.
This is his first time working under the Scot and he has nothing but praise for his methods.
"We need to be organised and professional - and that's what the gaffer brings to us," said Silk.
"In training we work very hard on things and nothing at all is left to chance.
"We do a lot of work on the shape of the team and also ensuring every individual knows their job when they go out on the pitch.
"Set pieces is another thing we go through a lot and I think it has already paid off this season from and an attacking and defensive point of view."