Stephen Crainey believes there’s plenty more to come from Wanderers on the back of a fourth win in five League One wins, writes Pete Oliver.
A 2-1 home victory over Burton Albion extended the Whites’ unbeaten league run to five games and lifted them to within a point of the top six with games in hand on a number of the side currently above them in the table.
Two goals inside three minutes just after the hour-mark from Aaron Collins and Randell Williams secured a second home league win of the campaign with Crainey confident there’s still more in the tank.
“First and foremost, we’re delighted with the win and getting three points because every game is tough as it was today,” said the Scot, who directed operations from the dug-out with fellow joint assistant-manager Peter Atherton as boss Ian Evatt started a three-game touchline ban.
“In the first 20 minutes I think we could have scored a couple and made it a bit easier for ourselves. We've got to be more ruthless in the final third. The lads show that in training and show good quality and we need to take it into games more, so there's loads of stuff to work on but I'm delighted with the three points.
“We started with a real good intensity and we want to maintain that for longer spells in the game. We don't just do it for short spells. We need to maintain that for 90 minutes and we'll strive to do that.
“Winning games is a good habit to get into. We expect to win games at this football club and today we've won the game. Can we play better? Yes. Will we play better moving forward? Absolutely.”
Evatt was able to direct his players before the game and at half-time, as well as communicating with Crainey and Atherton at pitch level.
That will be the same again at Birmingham City next Tuesday night when Wanderers take on the league leaders.
And it’s a challenge Crainey is looking forward to after Wanderers stood firm after Burton had pulled a goal back with a re-shuffled side missing captain George Thomason with a hamstring injury and central defender Eoin Toal.
“That's what a squad’s for,” added Crainey after Williams had marked his first league start of the season by creating the opening goal for Collins and cooly slotting home the second himself. “You're going to get injuries and suspensions and you need to utilise the squad.
“I thought the lads who came in today did well. It's a squad game and everyone is going to be needed at some point this season so when they do get utilised and play they need to be ready.
“Tuesday is a game we're really looking forward to. Birmingham are doing really well in the league but we think we're a good side as well, so it's going to be a good test. We're going to need to be concentrated in every aspect of the game but also hurt them in possession, which I'm sure I can.”
Watch Stephen’s full post-match interview on Wanderers TV.