Having your appendix removed may not be the typical way to revive your season but for Joe Burnell and Bath City it seems to have been the perfect tonic.
The midfielder returned to action just three weeks after the operation in a draw against Chelmsford City on March 16 and Bath have not lost since.
They had to ride their luck at times on Saturday, though, before Elliott Chamberlain's farewell goal saw off a physically strong Maidenhead side.
It was not a day for Burnell to play his best football but he says he is feeling fresher than ever and was glad to help the team to victory.
"Sometimes you have to play the conditions," he said. "It's been a problem in the last year-and-a-half maybe, we haven't done that – we've tried to overplay and caused ourselves problems.
"We certainly played in the right areas. It was the perfect away performance really, we weathered the storm when they threw players into the box in the second half."
"I feel really good, a lot better for the operation. The appendix was obviously causing me a lot of problems and I feel a lot fresher now since having it taken out.
"I played three weeks post-op. The doctor advised four weeks but I felt good so she said carry on, and it's all been fine."
The match was decided by Chamberlain's second-half strike, leaving many of the sizeable and vocal travelling supporters ruing the striker's decision to return to parent club Exeter City afterwards.
He had also hit the post in the first half and City may have to adjust their attacking tactics without him in the side.
On a difficult bobbly pitch, the ball spent a lot of time in the air and good passing moves were few and far between.
The visitors were first to threaten after 12 minutes when Noah Keats sent a 20-yard effort just wide, while Adam Connolly forced home keeper Billy Lunley into action with a low shot from a similar position.
City's only other first-half chance saw Chamberlain hit the post from Chris Allen's clever pass but Maidenhead were an increasing threat.
Aaron Brown looked shaky at left-back and the hosts created several chances as a result but an unmarked Richard Pacquette headed wide from Joe Tabiri's cross.
David Pratt missed the target after finding some space behind Brown, who was then penalised for bringing the same player down just outside the box.
Mark Preece had to block a goalbound effort from Harry Pritchard and a series of long-range efforts from Maidenhead cleared the bar by some distance.
Jason Mellor saved well to deny Pacquette early in the second half but City went ahead nine minutes in when a quick counter-attack produced a chance for Josh Low. His shot was parried but Chamberlain tapped home.
Maidenhead twice missed great headed opportunities and Pratt had a shot deflected wide by Mellor as City survived.
"It's always difficult in this league and I find the lower down you go the harder it gets sometimes," said Burnell.
"Teams put balls in the box and they're awkward to play against.
"We're slowly looking more solid every game, which is encouraging. It's all part of a process, we need to change the mentality of our performances, which we've done recently, and start getting wins at this level."
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