Steven Schumacher wants his team to ride the wave from Saturday’s big finish as the League One promotion race hots up, writes Pete Oliver.
Mason Burstow’s injury-time winner against Leyton Orient made it seven points from the last nine for Schumacher’s men as Wanderers moved up to third spot in the League One table.
The Whites now seek back-to-back home wins as part of a fascinating mid-week fixture list which sees second-placed Lincoln City host fourth-placed Bradford City, while Huddersfield Town – currently occupying the last play-off spot – entertain a Luton Town side just a place below them in the division.
Schumacher expects plenty of jostling for places between now and the end of the season and is seeking another three points tonight (Tuesday) against a Burton Albion side battling against the drop - but chasing a double over Wanderers after a 3-0 win in October - to keep the Whites firmly in the mix.
“Burton have beaten Cardiff away from home, they've beaten Huddersfield and were really unlucky against Lincoln the other night, so it'll be a tough game,” said the Wanderers’ boss.
“They're capable of getting results against anyone, like most teams are in this division, so we have to be mindful of that but also the fact that we've got a really good home record. We managed to find a way to win the game at the weekend and we want to use that momentum to try and win this one.
“Us being third in the division, having not played brilliantly over the last however many games, shows what consistency and just what getting results can do. So we need to make sure that we try and take the positives from that and stick in there.
“There's still a long way to go and there'll be loads of twists and turns. I think there'll be upsets from other teams as well. I don't think the pattern where the top two just keep winning will continue. Hopefully one of them will have a drop-off. Our focus is looking in front of us and trying not to look over our shoulder too much.”
Wanderers will be hoping to narrow a six-point gap behind Lincoln in the second automatic promotion place but will have to do it against Burton without some key men.
Midfield orchestrator Josh Sheehan will again be absent and may also have to sit out Saturday’s trip to AFC Wimbledon with a calf-strain, while on-loan Middlesbrough forward Marcuss Forss is out of the picture for a number of weeks with a hamstring problem.
And Schumacher also confirmed that on-loan Brighton winger Amario Cozier-Duberry is set for an extended spell on the sidelines with the knee injury he sustained in last Saturday’s ninth home win of the season – heightening the need to bring in reinforcements ahead of next Monday’s transfer deadline.
“We've had the news today that Mario's got some ligament damage in his knee,” added Wanderers’ head coach. “He's going to be out for certainly a couple of months, so that was a bit of a blow.
“But what that does is give other people an opportunity and it probably highlights the fact that we need to do some business this week, which we need to do anyway to strengthen the squad and get something sorted over the line before next Monday when the window closes.”
Watch the full pre-match interview with the boss on Wanderers TV and get tickets for tonight’s game HERE