Darby | We Have To Put A Run Together

Julian Darby embrace

Julian Darby will aim to keep the feel-good factor going and potentially propel Wanderers into the top six, writes Pete Oliver.

Darby will take charge of the Whites for the second and possibly final time at home to Northampton Town on Tuesday night.

The interim boss – along with staff Andy Taylor and Andrew Tutte – delivered the ideal tonic of a first win in four league games at high-flying Huddersfield on Saturday.

And another three points against a Town team managed by ex-Wanderers’ favourite Kevin Nolan could put Wanderers in the play-off places ahead of the arrival of a permanent replacement for Ian Evatt as manager.

“It's important to try and follow up what happened on Saturday,” said Darby, the former Wanderers' midfielder who has stepped up from his position at Youth Team boss to fill the void. “I don't think you could beat the performance and the celebrations at the end and the positivity around the place.

“It's important to back that up with the win tomorrow. If we've got any aspirations to do anything this year we have to put some sort of run together.

“If you do that you move up the table, so let's be nice and positive. It won't be easy tomorrow. ‘Nobby’ is coming to town to start with and he will be desperate to try and put one over on us and I think they've lost only two out of the last six (since his appointment).

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Team celebrations post-match Huddersfield

“From the footage I've seen they've been hard to beat and they have dominated games, so we're under no illusion. It won't be easy but it’s one we've got to relish and try and take our game to them.

“Go and attack it. We're at home. We have to control the ball a little bit more probably than we did on Saturday. That was an away game and a different type of football. You have a plan for at home and a plan for away, so we have to try and control the ball a little bit more and I think we have players who can do that and cause problems.”

Darby will mull over his selection options as the Whites aim for a first double of the season and a first home win in three attempts. His line-up at Huddersfield did the trick as a re-shuffled back line kept a first clean sheet in six games in a 1-0 win to prompt joyous scenes at the end as Wanderers rewarded their travelling fans with a big three points.

“The positivity around the place at the end was fantastic to see,” Darby added. “The players looked like they enjoyed themselves and you can see them celebrating with the fans. We're going to need that for the rest of the season and let's all pull together. There's a long way to go and lots of points to play for and let’s keep being positive.

“There are some good players in there. It's a case of how we get the best out of each individual and how we get the best out of the team all together. That (Saturday) just shows that if we can harness what they've got, they can shoot up the league.

“Hopefully we can pass that baton on to the new manager. It's important we keep being positive, keep the players nice and confident and we keep trying to win games of football. That's not just the staff and the players. The fans have a huge part to play as well.”

Watch the manager’s full pre-match interview on Wanderers TV

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