Hughton: Focus was the key to win.
Posted on November 8th, 2009 | 14 Comments |
Cardiff lost away to derby rivals Swansea and West Brom managed to beat promotion hopefuls Leicester, which means a bit of a gap has opened up between the top 2 and the chasing back.
After the game, Hughton said:
“We have got a totally focused group of players who, from minute one, saw an opportunity for us to stay on top of the division, and very much took that opportunity.
“We have got used to getting on with the job. There are things we can’t affect, but I am very lucky that I have got a group of players who are focused on one thing, and that’s on staying where we are at the right end of the table with the ultimate aim of getting promotion.
“We are focused enough and it certainly hasn’t taken anything away from the victory.”
Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson was gracious in defeat, saying:
“Out of every game I’ve got to take positives, but we just don’t give ourselves a chance.
“We spoke at length about trying to keep and trying to get control of the game quickly.
“We knew they’d come out of the traps quick they always do at home. I think they were hurting a little bit from the defeat in the cup.
“Credit to Newcastle, I think you have seen the team that will win the league. They are on a roll at the moment.
“Chris has done a good job and stabilised the whole club, so it was always going to be difficult for us.”
Hughton also hailed Jonas Gutierrez’s contribution to the game, which resulted in a goal – his first for the club – before he was substituted after picking up an injury:
“Jonas has been a wonderful player for us.
“But you evaluate every player and the one area of Jonas’ game that he knows and we know he can improve on is his ability to score goals.
“He was certainly delighted with that and I am delighted for him.
“We wanted to start the game at a high tempo and one example of that would have been Gutierrez.
“He had missed a few games for us and it has probably taken him a little bit of time to get back into his stride, but he started very, very well today.
“The only shame was that he had to come off.
“It’s a slight injury, I need to check to be honest with you, but it was obviously enough for him to come off.”
Speaking about Jonas’s goal, Hughton said:
“He was certainly delighted with that. We were expecting the mask to come out, but he has probably put it away somewhere.”
So another 3 points and still top, but a much more convincing display than last week’s.
NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen
I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10).
Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.
it was somethink we hope to win championship and we will getback p.l with confidnce but i want to see the highlights this game