Manager Paul Cox has branded Saturday’s home match with Hartlepool United as our biggest game of the season.
Our boss, who was speaking at his weekly press meeting, says that our players will have to produce another top performance if they are to extend their current eight-match unbeaten streak.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s our biggest game of the season on Saturday,” stated Cox.
“It’s okay winning local derbies and taking plaudits, but it’s consistency that I’m after and we’ll need to be on our mettle on Saturday.
“I don’t want it to be a case of after the Lord Mayor’s show.”
He continued: “The players know what is expected of them and I know that I’ve got good players who are waiting in the wings, if anyone wants to rest on their laurels.
“I’ll see what the players are like in training and make sure that physically, but more importantly, mentally, we’re clued up, because Saturday is going to be a big game for us.
“Nothing is won in this month of the season. It’s where you finish that ultimately counts, so we’ve got to make sure that we’re spot on.
“The boys need a pat on the back for how they’ve performed this season, but that’s all chip paper now. It’s the next 10 games that I’m interested in.
“Ultimately, where we are [in the table] at Christmas, will have a big bearing on our season and what direction we want to go.
Reflecting on last Saturday’s match at Chesterfield, Cox added: “It took a lot out of both teams. When the game is played at such a high tempo, you do need a break.
“The players have had a couple of days off this week to re-charge their batteries both physically and mentally, and what I want to see is them ‘champing at the bit’ again.”
