Goal-scorer Joel on today’s 3-0 win
Joel Lynch praised the character of the whole team following Town’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest as they stretched their unbeaten run to seven matches.
Town produced one of their best performances of the season to beat the visitors, and Lynch said it was a collective effort from the entire team.
“It’s just a great result. The lads worked so hard and it all came together. We scored the goals at the right times. It’s just a great performance and the atmosphere was great today. It was a brilliant three points for us,” Joel told htafc.com.
“We continued to work hard. The midfielders and strikers were helping back, and everybody put their body on the line for us.
“Some of the saves that Alex Smithies made and some of the blocks the defenders made won us the game. We’re just delighted with the performance and we go on to Tuesday. We can’t get caught up in it; it’s just another three points but we’re on a roll and we want to keep it going.”
The former Forest man explained that such a fantastic team performance comes from the whole squad being together and happy on and off the pitch.
“The camp is a lot happier at the minute, and the lads want to do it for each other. It’s a proper football club at the minute; the fans are getting behind us because they know what we can do. Everyone who is playing or in and around the squad is enjoying it and taking everything on board that the Manager is telling us.
“In my opinion confidence is massive in football. There are games where you have to just keep on going and like I said our togetherness with people tracking back shows we’ve got a lot of pride in ourselves.
“Even when we were 3-0 up and they had a corner at the end, everyone was screaming at each other just to keep that clean sheet. It shows how far we’ve come since the first game of the season.”
Lynch opened the scoring for Town inside the first minute with a header, before goals from Nahki Wells and Grant Holt either side of half-time sealed the victory.
He also went on to praise the influence fellow central defender and Captain, Mark Hudson is having on his game.
“It’s something we practiced in training, so for (the goal) to come off is brilliant. I’m just delighted to give something back and score. Me and ‘Huds’ are big lads so we should be scoring more really. The clean sheet is even better for the back four and the goalkeeper.
“I was a bit disappointed I hadn’t scored already, but we’ve been working on it in training so hopefully I can get a few more goals. I’d be happy with four or five which is good for any centre back.
“I’ve got no bitterness against Forest, I really enjoyed my time there, but this is my new club now and I love it here. It’s great to chip in with a goal against my former club and rub it in against some of my old mates.
“It’s fantastic, his experience is great,” Joel said of Mark. “I need someone alongside me telling me what to do, and I think our partnership is getting better with every game. I’m learning so much off him position wise; he’s been brilliant for me and exactly what I needed in my career.”
Lynch also reserved praise for the work that Manager, Chris Powell, is doing off the pitch and thinks the team can get a result go in to Tuesday’s game against high flying Derby County.
“With the Manager the intensity of training has gone up and the lads have dealt with it, and I think in games we’ve been a lot sharper and quicker. With the way it is at the minute it’s just a joy to come in to work and it’s a great place to be. I’ve never known a happier camp as long as I’ve been a footballer.
“We’re still going to have ups and downs in the season, but if we keep playing like we did today there’s no reason why we can’t get up the table. Anything can happen. It’s such a great dressing room to be in and we’re going to keep giving it everything.
“Hopefully we can do it again on Tuesday because it’s going to be an even tougher game.”
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