Even by derby match standards, Saturday was pretty breathless stuff.
Back in September I questioned whether the cross-border rivalry between Chester FC and Wrexham was at risk of turning to dust, a casualty of the overbearing 'bubble' match restrictions that have been imposed on the clash since 2013.
I need not have worried, though.
A bumper crowd created an electric atmosphere, the likes of which we so rarely get to experience these days. It felt like a derby where the stakes were high and losing was simply not an option and the ignominy of defeat was beyond comprehension.
The players responded, too. It was end-to-end stuff, filled with flashpoints and controversy and, in the end, finished with probably the right result.
There was the on-field brawl at the end of the 90 minutes that took some of the shine off the contest and then, sadly, the allegations of racial abuse towards Wrexham striker Ntumba Massanka.
But the alleged actions of one mindless individual, actions that have been strongly condemned by Chester and both sets of fans, can not be used as any kind of ammunition by the authorities to keep the 'bubble' measures in place any longer.
The police helicopter whirring overhead, the armoured police cars, the convoy of coach after coach only served to heighten the tension on Saturday, as it has done on every occasion since the introduction of the measures.
There was less of a police presence to shift Hannibal Lecter in the Silence of the Lambs than there was to bus football fans up the A483.
With these restrictions having been in place for four seasons now it is easy to become numb to them, to accept them as the norm and continue to take it on the chin. That simply can not happen, it is an attack on our civil liberty.
A heavy police presence for such a clash involving such numbers is implied, and ensuring order and public safety is of paramount importance.
But if Cheshire Constabulary and North Wales Police are serious about bringing an end to the restrictions, and not just blowing hot air in a bid to appease vocal critics, then we have to have witnessed the final 'bubble' match.
One arrest says it all.
One arrest for an incident that has been met with widespread condemnation does not warrant these restrictions for next season's games between the sides should, of course, they both still be plying their trade in the Vanarama National League.
Speaking last week to North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones, a long-time critic of the 'bubble', he stated that businesses he has spoken to in Wrexham would welcome the lifting of restrictions, stating that they miss out on vital trade that would come with it. Perhaps some Chester businesses would feel the same.
The 3pm Saturday kick-off, the first for 30 years between the two sides, was welcomed and was a big factor in why this particular derby marked a return to form. Aside from one sour note, both sets of fans played their part in a cracking encounter.
I'm sure there are plenty of Wrexham fans who work in Chester and vice versa, and yet they don't require a police escort to get to work.
Based on Saturday's post-match scuffle, as one Blues fan suggested, a players' only 'bubble' would be more valid than one for the fans.
But the 'bubble' has been burst now. Get it in the bin, please.
