Southern praises away support ahead of Blackburn
Keith Southern made his long-awaited return to action as a substitute during Town’s weekend win at Wolves and was quick to praise the Club’s travelling support ahead of another important game at Blackburn on Tuesday.
After almost three months on the sidelines following Achilles surgery, the experienced midfielder admitted it was good to be back out on the field of play during his second-half appearance on Saturday.
“I’m delighted, as it’s been a very frustrating 11 weeks on the sidelines for me,” Keith told htafc.com.
“I’ve missed a lot of games, so it was good to get on for the last half hour at Molineux and contribute towards a much-needed win. I hope I can get a bit of a run in the team between now and the end of the season.”
Southern was part of a double change alongside Jermaine Beckford that seemed to have a positive impact on the game, with a finely-poised 1-1 draw turning into a 3-1 win for the Terriers.
“I’d only trained for five days before the game so I didn’t know if I’d be involved, but the Manager showed faith in me and I was pleased to get on in such a critical game.
“Jermaine rightly got the headlines for his two goals, but hopefully I helped to steady the ship. Everyone deserved the plaudits though – I thought the win was nothing less than we deserved, as we were the better side after the opening 15 minutes.”
Although the win at Wolves was a big one, Southern was quick to stress that the task of consolidating the Club’s Championship status is far from over with four games still left in the season.
“This season is far from done. Saturday was a big win against one of our rivals towards the bottom of the League and emotions were running high at the end of the game, but once we were in the changing room the Manager quickly got our feet back on the ground.
“We know we need a similar performance, if not better, against Blackburn on Tuesday night. Everyone’s attention is on the game at Ewood Park and we’ll be fully prepared for that challenge.”
Southern and co knows all about one of Rovers’ main threats – former Town striker Jordan Rhodes.
“Blackburn have had a tough season, but they had a great result over Derby at the weekend and we know they have some good players.
“Obviously we all know about Jordan. He’s a top player at this level and we will have to keep an eye on him. He showed us what he can do with the half-chance he tucked away at our Stadium back in November and he’s vital to them; without his goals, they might have been relegated by now.
“However, Blackburn are not just about one player - every team has several good players. We will respect them, but not fear them.”
A bumper Town following is expected at Ewood Park on Tuesday night and Keith believes the fans can make a real difference:
“Obviously it’s the hardcore fans that travel around the country with the team and they’ve backed us to the hilt all season, but Saturday at Wolves was the loudest I’ve ever heard them. I was really proud and pleased to play in front of them.
“I hope that continues for the rest of the season. Hopefully we can give them something to shout about at Blackburn!”
For Blackburn ticket information click HERE; buy until 4pm Tuesday and pay in cash on the night!
