Bury cruise to a 5-2 victory away at fellow title rivals Chadderton with 4 goals from DJ Pedro and another by and a penalty by Bryan Ly to secure the points, Manager Dave McNabb spoke to the club to give his thoughts on the result
Dave McNabb: “I think it’s massive especially after Saturday’s disappointment, that took a lot out of us all collectively and that was an understatement it was a real gutter conceding three goals and losing points so late on it is disappointing but if you take a step back and take a look at the balance of the game, they’ve had four shots and scored three, so really disappointing for that. Coming in today was so big, it was massive, and we’ve won a different way today. I think we probably expected to come and try and play loads of football and get bullied a little bit. We tried to play football on our spells, but we did it a little bit more in their third and too a man we were absolutely solid The commitment, running through tackles, fighting for each other, winning every first and second ball. Honestly, the lads have shown a massive, massive set of nuts tonight and I’m made up for them.”
He then gave his thoughts on debutant for defender Courtney Meppen-Walter with him saying “He was outstanding. Physicality, physical presence, calmness personified on the ball, and he must have won about 50 headers. That’s the type of player he is, he’s got so much ability and he’s a really, really good lad and a lead in the dressing room as well. The feelings just changed a little bit with a couple of the lads coming in. I think the changing rooms are lively, the togetherness, the camaraderie is flying. Really, really important players for us, I think, going forward.
Dave than gave us his thoughts on today’s MOTM DJ Pedro following his 4 goals he scored tonight, he said: “Football is about opinions, and I think everyone will always have a slightly different opinion on what team should start. I don’t think anyone can question my decision to bring DJ straight back in tonight, so that’s what he’s got. The takeaway will always be he scored four and his goals, but that doesn’t even tell half the story, does it, in terms of his work rate. He didn’t give the three cents and a half to second, he literally was on one to the next to the next. Performance, arguably the best individual performance I’ve seen since I’ve been here. You talk about work rate from the whole team, it seemed like tonight that everyone was just up for it and, as you say, they were in there for the first and second balls. So, as much as DJ will get the plaudits for the four goals and Brian for the penalty, it’s a well-rounded team performance tonight? Absolutely, and like I said, the lads were hurting coming into the game tonight and, in some ways, it’s probably done us a favour that we’ve got such a good side against Chadderton and a side that can not only play unbelievable football and have got massive, massive attack and intent, but they can mix it as well and they’re a physical side and, like I said, I think it was probably the best thing that could have happened to us, having to come here and really dig in and the lads have shown that character now, so they’ve set the bar, we know what they can do and I’ll be expecting that now week in, week out.”
Dave than gave us an update on Eoin Charles who joined the club this week alongside Courtney, with him saying “Well, in typical sort of bloody fashion, he’s come in and trained and he’s got a little pull in his thigh, so nothing serious, but he just needs to probably spend the week with the physio and do some work and get back in. So, disappointing, but he might have got an outside chance for training Monday or Tuesday and then back for Thursday.
He then followed up on this by also giving us an update on fellow new boy Morgan Hompson-Smith.
Dave McNabb: “It’s brilliant, Morgan’s an absolute quality footballer, his technical ability is through the roof. One of those things, bittersweet, it’s fantastic because he’s been playing week in, week out over there, so he’s fit, he’s sharp, but because of that he needs international clearance and vice versa, he wouldn’t have been playing up there, he wouldn’t be fit, but he wouldn’t need it, so it’s just, again, one of those things that just seems to go against you at times, but, yes, the sooner we get that, the sooner it’ll be better.”
To finish the interview, he then looked ahead to boxing days derby clash with Ramsbottom United with him saying “it’s obviously a local derby, it’s Boxing Day, we’re expecting a big crowd, tonight will have helped us, we’ll have plenty of confidence, I’m sure Ramy will have exactly the same. Both teams will be going into the game thinking they can win it, is someone going to win it and take the lead or is it going to be a draw, I don’t know, but I think, there’s only three points, but it’s a really important game for everyone involved at the club, so it’s about us going out there and doing the fans proud.
