Following his brace against Oxford United on Tuesday, which increased his seasonal tally to 5 goals, Rovers’ skipper Charlie Mulgrew reflected on a whirlwind game with the clubs’ media team.
“The most important thing is the three points, no matter how they come, but funnily enough, the lads are a bit down in the changing room as a result of the two goals that we let in, which shows great determination within the squad as we have a desire to keep clean sheets. Regardless, it was a good away performance, topped off by three valuable points.
“Our start was a great one inside the first 20 minutes and it’s a shame we weren’t able to keep it going. We’ve been starting well recently, like at Bury for example, which we’re happy with, as it set us up to be in a good position to grab all three points. The first goal is always a big one in any game, we’ve shown, against Barnet, that we’re capable of coming back from behind to win and we’ve also shown that we’re capable of maintaining the lead when we go one in front, so it’s a good sign moving forward.
“I fancied myself to score the penalty and I thought I’d take a bit of responsibility. I knew the corner that I was going to and thankfully it went in. Going 3-0 up inside the first 20 minutes is a weird feeling. We also conceded the goal at a bad time psychologically as we went into the dressing room a bit down whilst they would have got a boost from it, although it was a strange game, we just have to take the positives of scoring four goals away from home. We were under a bit of pressure in the second half and there was a lot of pressure relieved off of us when Joe (Nuttall) got the 4th goal, as it settled the nerves as they were slowly managing to make their way back into the game.”
The captain was questioned in regards to Joe Nuttall’s progress and how the hot-shot was settling in amongst the plethora of attacking quality that Rovers have at their disposal.
“Joe’s been brilliant ever since he came through the door, he’s been working hard and he’s got a great attitude for a young player. He’s got everything really, so we’re grateful to have him in many respects. He can finish, he can hold the ball up and he can run in behind which makes him a real handful for defenders.
“I don’t go into games thinking about extending my goal tally; I go in wanting to end the game with a clean sheet. I’d probably be happier with a clean sheet than a goal if I’m honest, but if I can chip in with a few extra goals in order to help the team, then I’m happy to do so.
“We’re delighted with the last two games, (Bury and Oxford), but we have to move on now and focus our attentions on Saturday’s game, which is a different game altogether. We need to be ready and focused as we know we have a lot of games to play in December, as it’s a crucial time in the season.”
