Defender looking forward to hectic run
Defender Shane Cansdell-Sherriff was in positive mood after the Brewers came away from Spotland with a 1-1 draw from their clash with his former club Rochdale at the start of a run of three away games in eight days that will see them take on Bristol Rovers on Friday before a long Tuesday trip to Torquay United for a re-arranged fixture.Albion led through Zeli Ismail's first half strike but were pegged back when George Donnelly's hopeful cross ended up in the back of the net to surrender two points to promotion chasing Dale but Cansdell-Sherriff still saw it as a good result.
"We had the three points in our grasp but they got the better of us in the last twenty minutes or so and pushed us back to force the errors" Shane admitted, "It is disappointing from that perspective but to come here and take a point home with us is a good result."
With only a couple of days before the team are next in action the Australian defender was keen to stress the need for the preparation to be right before another tricky tie at Bristol Rovers against a side who are surprisingly languishing in the lower reaches of the table.
"We will have a breather on Wednesday although I will generally do a little bit myself to blow away the cobwebs and we will be back in for a really good training session on Thursday to keep us loosened up, particularly those of us who have played against Rochdale. We need to do enough so that we are not too lethargic but we also have to be careful not to overdo things. A lot of good food and good rest is essential. Then we should be ready for Friday for another good game."
Rather than being ready for a breather, Cansdell-Sherriff revels in playing games in quick succession particularly when the side are picking up points and carrying momentum with them.
"As a player I prefer it when the games come thick and fast like this" Shane said, "Sometimes it gets a little bit boring when you are only playing on Saturdays and there is nothing in between apart from training. I find that you need that competition and that bit of fight and also when you are winning and picking up points, pushing up the table that is when it is exciting and you want the net game to come around as soon as possible."
"I think that Bristol Rovers will pose us different problems to Rochdale. I think they will probably be a little bit more direct. I think they will be desperate for the points but for a different reason to us and that means we can expect a tougher, more physical encounter as opposed to what we came up against with Rochdale."
Although not a part of the Albion defence for the last two trips to take on Rovers, Cansdell-Sherriff maintains a positive outlook on the game and believes current form should be more of a guide that the last two visits to the Pirates which have seen the Brewers come away pointless on each occasions and having shipped ten goals in the two games. Rochdale was the first away goal conceded since the trip to Hartlepool before Christmas, a sign of the resolve in the defence and the on loan defender is sure it is only a matter of time before goals start to flow at the other end to make games more comfortable.
"I always go into every game thinking that we are going to get a positive result and the way we are performing at the back at the moment there are certainly not a lot of goals getting past us so it is looking good for us from a defensive perspective. We just need that little bit of luck up front just to bang in two or three goals instead of just the one and I can see it coming. We are certainly creating the chances and the luck just needs to go with us a little bit more."
Successive draws against Dagenham & Redbridge and Rochdale have kept the Brewers unbeaten run going but dropped points do add a little bit more pressure to Friday's game although it also offers an opportunity to put points on the board before games for their rivals over the weekend.
"Every time you drop points it does add a little bit more pressure but there are still plenty of games to go and we still have to play some of the sides around us. We will aim to go down there on Friday and keep the points total ticking along and if we can do that it will put us in a good position ahead of the weekend and the games to come."