Well done, Joey. Can you sum up that game for us?
A sucker punch conceding a goal when we did, but it shows the character of the players. We said to them at half time anything Sheff Wed did in the first half came from moments of ill decision from us.
When we executed and played and pressed how we wanted to, we caused them lots of problems. We would have been disappointed to go in at half time level, so to go in one down was a real sucker punch.
But real credit to the players, they didn’t sulk, they didn’t feel sorry for themselves. They went out and attacked in the second half and I think we deservedly come out of here with at least a point.
Josh, a big lad, 19 years old but a sweet finish and a confident finish.
Yeah, and we don’t worry about him going in. We’ve had a number of really good moments for our strikeforce today. Aaron and Josh have had ample opportunity and it was nice to see one hit the back of the net.
It was a real moment of quality and composure as a 19-year-old going in there to lift it over David Stockdale, who’s a competent keeper at the level. I’m really pleased for him, I thought he was outstanding tonight.
It’s only the second time in Rovers’ history you have got a point at Hillsborough. Should you have won it?
We’ll be disappointed when we look back based on the quality of chances, but Belly has pulled off three really good saves. There were a couple in the first half, one enforced from Gibbo close to him, but there was the tip around the post early in the game and the save he makes in the second half quite late on up to his left hand is a fantastic save.
We all know what a great goalkeeper James is and he’s been quiet of late in terms of we have limited the opposition to very few chances, but he showed his quality and all very good goalkeepers are there when required.
We needed him at moments tonight and he was there for us.
Ryan Loft, he tried to carry on. What’s the problem there?
He felt his hamstring a little bit during the game on Saturday and he just felt it during the game tonight. He went back on and we’re like ‘Look, we don’t want you to pull that and miss six or eight weeks’.
If you have to miss this game… Obviously, all the lads are desperate to play because it’s a big ground and they’re all on Sky probably for the first time in their lives.
We obviously thought it was not the most sensible move to push him on and we’ve got a competent squad. We made a couple of changes and the lads went on.
Harry Anderson then comes off. Hopefully, they’re alright and it’s the shorter side of an injury and we got to them before they made it any worse.
You must be so happy that the occasion of the big occasion, playing in a big stadium with the TV cameras. They didn’t shrink in the face of the challenge.
It’s a brave group and we spoke before about showing courage and bravery to take the ball and try to play. Sheff Wed have got some really good players, international players, and they make it difficult for you.
To come to their stadium with the national TV here and a lot of their fans here, it was a great atmosphere tonight. To show that bravery to play at times. Obviously, we had to mix our game up as well, but to a man they were excellent.
I must mention the Gasheads as well. The game is won Sky and it would be easy to sit in and save money, but they have come in their numbers again and thankfully we’ve given them a goal in the second half at that end and a really positive performance.
My ambition was to get the club back to this level because maybe Sheff Wed are below the level they should be at, but to get the club back competing with this calibre of opposition.
This is where we want to be. With the greatest respect, I don’t want to be travelling to Crawley and Sutton and that’s with the greatest respect to them.
We want to be playing in these arenas and bringing our fanbase. I’m proud of the lads tonight and proud of the football club.
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