On Saturday he proved to everyone else what Greene already knew – that he can still be a match winner.

“Dave made a massive contribution,” said Greene after his side had ground down Hitchin Town from the league above.

“He proved that if you can pass the ball and have a brain you don’t need legs. He also takes a great corner. They could not defend the goal he scored.”

Greene did, however, take a big gamble – to play Carroll alongside another new signing Leon Townley in the centre of defence.

“We were at bit edgy for the first 20 minutes of the game,” admitted Greene, “because we had a new pairing at centre half. But then they got it together and began to settle. Hitchin had no pace and no real physical presence and I believed that if we kept passing the ball then we would have no problem.

“Previously we have had a tendency to hoof the ball forward – give it away and then the opposition come straight back at you. Saturday showed that we have learned two things – that we can come from behind and that if we are in front we don’t take our foot of the gas like we did against Welling.”

Switching his attention back to the league, Greene said he knew his side, which has beaten two teams from divisions above to get to the third round of the Trophy for only the second time, is ready to progress.

“But it’s getting out of this division that’s the difficult thing.

“We have a good mix of players with pace, strength and ability. We know we are good enough and most of the players at Windsor have signed on two-year contracts.

“So if it is not to be this year – then perhaps it will have to be next.”