Michael Collins has told htafc.com that Saturday's win over Walsall was a massive one for the team with a busy month looming.

The 22-year old grabbed a dramatic added-time winner over the Saddlers at the Galpharm Stadium and admitted that he was delighted to net his fourth goal in five games.

"It's nice to be getting my name on the scoresheet with a few winners recently," Michael told the Club's official website. "It was a scrappy game today and walking into the changing rooms, we were over the moon to come away with three points because with 25 minutes to go we would have probably settled for a point - it just wasn't happening for us.

"As Gerry has said to us, you sometimes get days like that in football but there have been a few games this season where we have battered teams and not got the result we deserve, so it was nice to get a stroke of luck today.

"To be honest, I don't think either team can hold their hands up and said they thoroughly deserved to win the game today. It was one of those games where certain decisions would determine the outcome and in the end, we got that lucky break to make it 2-1. Walsall may feel that was harsh, but as a team we hung on in there and we are delighted with the three points.

"A nice thing from Gerry's point of view is that before he came in we were losing games in the last ten minutes and fortunately we have now flipped that around totally. It's a nice feeling; coming off the pitch today we knew we had worked hard and it was great to nick the win."

As well as scoring the winner, it was Collins who was brought down for the 26^th minute penalty that Gary Roberts converted.

He explained how the move started: "Jim Goodwin pushed the ball to me and I saw a gap in behind, so I decided to go for it because I didn't think we were troubling their centre-half pairing enough around the sides; they were very strong in the air and I think we played to their strengths. I took a chance and I didn't actually think I would get to the ball, but the full-back hesitated and I got a touch on it. As soon as I was past him, I was hoping he would bring me down because I had a look to my right and we had nobody in the box!

"He caught the back of my heels and it was a definite penalty. You seen them given in football every week and it was nice to see 'Robbo' stick it away, because he has been playing well lately without getting a goal.

"It is nice to score any goal, but with the luck we've been having at not getting penalties lately it was nice to be awarded one."

It's been a big turnaround for Collins - he's gone from not featuring for the first-team under previous boss Stan Ternent to become a key member of the side during a series of impressive recent performances.

"At the start of the season, the previous manager decided to play other people and I wasn't in his plans for a lot of the games but that's football and I have the upmost respect for Stan Ternent. It's been nice for me to come into the team, score a few goals and perhaps prove a few doubters wrong.

"I've got full faith in my ability and one day I would like to play at the highest level. I think I am good enough to do that and that has been my motivation to get back in the team. More importantly, I am scoring the goals that are winning games for us."

Collins is now looking for the team to go on a run in December in order to get into the Play-Off race.

"It's a massive win for us. We had a big discussion this week as a team and we talked about the very tough but winnable games that we have over Christmas and the New Year. I think your season can be determined by where you are after the festive period - if you are touch with the top teams then you have every chance and that has to be the aim come the end of December.

"I think the Southend match will be totally different. As the home side you are expected to attack and take the game to the opposition but on Southend's tight pitch I think it could be a scrappy affair. Fortunately, we now have the knack of grinding out results and we'll be looking for as many points as we can down there."

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