City defender Gary Doherty has urged the Canaries to flush the cruel defeat at Leeds right out of their system with a win over Swindon Town today.
The Norfolk club were the in-form team in the division before Jermaine Beckford struck in the dying moments at Elland Road.
But the City centre-back admitted that if you want to compete for honours, you must react immediately after a setback.
And the former Republic of Ireland international – back in favour once again – is backing his boys to do just that against the Robins this afternoon.
“I think the gaffer mentioned that good teams come back – you always try and bounce back from a defeat and that’s what we have got to do tomorrow,” he told the press yesterday.
“Everyone is bubbling, we know we have got goals in us and we’re doing quite well so we’re just looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully getting three points.
“I don’t think the defeat at Leeds has knocked confidence – we know we’re playing quite well at the minute.
“Not getting the result was obviously bitterly disappointing. But sometimes you do take positives from good performances.
“It was our first defeat in four or five games so we have just got to put that at the back of our minds, put on a decent performance and then take that out tomorrow.”
After the heartbreak in west Yorkshire brought the Canaries’ run to an end, Doherty admitted they have to put another set of results together if they are to start challenging the top two – which has to be their aim.
And the defender claimed that victory in front of a sold out Carrow Road today can put some daylight between them and the play-off chasing pack.
“We are in the play-off positions at the moment, but we really want to push on from there and beating teams like Swindon at home is important to us because they are just behind us and it would give us a good gap.
“The main goal has got to be to get Norwich City back in the Championship, that has got to be the main aim from the players and the staff and we’re working extremely hard at the minute to do that.”
One thing that Paul Lambert was keen to fix on his arrival in Norfolk was City’s leaky defence. And the 29-year-old is having a ball after being recalled to a stubborn backline.
If ‘The Doc’ and Jens Berthel Askou can keep up the good work, then Messrs Spillane and Nelson will find it tough to force their way back in when they finally recover from injury.
“It’s been going quite well,” Doherty added, clearly enjoying his new lease of life at Carrow Road.
“We’d conceded a penalty in four games so that’s not too bad and it is something we have got to keep going because obviously if you want to get promoted it needs to be based on a solid defence and that’s something we’re trying to do.”
Tom Haylett
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