Warrington Rylands manager Mark Duffy on FA Cup progress

And with Blues’ best results this season almost exclusively confined to the knockout competition, their task now is to ensure it translates into a revival of their Northern Premier League fortunes.

Rylands progressed to the third qualifying round by seeing off the lower-ranked County Durham side via a replay at Gorsey Lane, coming from behind to secure a 3-1 victory after Saturday’s initial tie finished 1-1.

There they will host National League North side Scarborough Athletic a week on Saturday but first, they refocus on the NPL Premier Division with Bamber Bridge their visitors this weekend.

Having won just one of their first eight league games, Duffy has endured a difficult start to his tenure but is confident better times are ahead.

“There’s no denying that we want to have won more games of football, but I don’t think we’ve been second-best in any of the games,” he said.

“That’s the most frustrating thing – we’ve been the dominant team in most games but have fallen victim to a counter-attack or a sucker-punch.

“If we continue to show the clinical edge we showed on Tuesday, I’m sure we’ll be fine.

“The lads are buzzing because it’s great winning football matches.

“It gives us belief that we’re doing the right things, which we reiterate to them all the time.

“With the chances that we’re getting, eventually we’re going to score goals and that was the case.

“We’ll train on Thursday and we’ll prepare for the game against Bamber Bridge.”

Tuesday’s replay was finely poised going into the second half, with Ntumba Massanka having pulled Rylands level after they had fallen behind to Cieran Jackson’s opener.

However, a deflected effort from Sam Burns edged the hosts ahead before Luke Porter sealed the victory three minutes later.

Burns’ goal was just reward for a fine individual performance, and Duffy insists it is his job to ensure the forward churns out those kind of displays more consistently.

“It’s been a frustrating start to the season for Sam – he’s been in and out and hasn’t really hit the heights we know he can hit,” he said.

“When he plays like that, playing him is a no-brainer.

“He’s got so much ability but it’s no good me telling him – he’s got to believe it himself a bit more.

“When he performs like that, he’s a real problem for anyone not just in this division but ones higher.

“It’s getting it out of him more consistently, which is our responsibility.”

On the game itself, he added: “We’re obviously really pleased with the final score.

“I thought it was going to be one of those nights in the first half – the first time they really attacked, they scored but we showed really good character to come back.

“They are a decent team that have beaten teams from our level to get to this round, but we said to the players at half time that we felt we had more gears to go through.

“We went out in the second half and really showed that.

“The really pleasing thing is that we were clinical in the second half, which has been our downfall this season.

“We haven’t been quite clinical enough but in that second half, there were some really good performances out there individually and collectively.”

In order to boost their chances of a sustained upturn in form, Duffy is scouring the market for fresh bodies, with attacking reinforcements the priority.

One deal is over the line, with Blackpool forward Jake Daniels set to arrive on a month’s loan, and there are more irons in the fire.

“We’re always looking to bring players in, and that’s the message to the ones we’ve got,” Duffy said.

“Everything’s always rosy if you’re winning games but if you’re not, we’re always looking for more.

“The club have been fantastic with me in allowing me to bring players in.

“We’ve got one over the line in Jake Daniels from Blackpool, who will have another body to the attacking area.

“It’s important that when players get their chance, they perform because there will be people snapping at their heels.”