Brewers top scorer looking forward to upcoming games
Burton Albion striker Billy Kee came off the bench again to grab a point against Dagenham & Redbridge and for the team's top scorer it was a relief to be back on the scoresheet again with his first goal of the calendar year to return him to the top of the club's goalscoring charts.In many ways it was a trademark goal for the former Leicester City youngster as he took a pass from Jimmy Phillips with his back to goal before turning and firing low into the bottom corner of Chris Lewington's net but Kee says he is happy with any sort of goal.
"I like scoring those sorts of goals but I will always take a goal however it comes. It was enough to get us a point and maybe in the end we could have had three. The results will come though if we keep working hard. Their lad has caught his shot so good there is nothing you can do about it. It was just about the only shot they had all game but that is how it goes sometimes. We just have to take the positives from today into Tuesday and push on again."
With Michael Symes the only unavailable striker at the moment with injury there is competition aplenty in the striking department with Kee battling with Adam McGurk, Dominic Knowles and new signing Gary Alexander for a starting shirt up front. The one thing guaranteed is that Kee is up for the battle for a starting berth.
"I have been here for a while now and anyone who knows me knows that I am always up for the challenge of getting into the team" Kee confirmed, "To be fair the lads have done well in the first forty five minutes today. Adam and Gary have not really had the rub of the green and their chances have not gone in but we also have Dom fighting for a place as well and he is a great player too. Nobody has got a concrete place in this team and nobody ever will have. I may be the top scorer in the team right now but I still have to earn my place in the side."
The goal against Dagenham was the second goal in a row for Kee when coming off the bench as he also achieved the feat in the last game of 2013 against Newport County AFC at the Pirelli Stadium and he admitted that sometimes chances come easier when you are on as a substitute.
"The gaffer always tells us that you just as important off the bench as you are starting on the pitch. That is what we have in our squad, it's not about individuals, its about the team. Sometimes when you come off the bench you get the chances and sometimes when you start it doesnt happen for you and the chances dont fall your way. You have just got to be really focused all the time and really want it when you get that chance."
Against the ten men of Dagenham & Redbridge for large parts of the second half it may seem like two points dropped but with all the sides in the hunt for promotion dropping points of late Kee knows the importance of keeping the points tally ticking along for as long as they can and he is convinvced that Albion have what it takes to earn success.
"You only have to look at how strong our team is this year and I really believe that we can do something but we have to keep picking up points, either ones or threes and keep going right to the end."
"From last season to this season the big difference is how we can play away from home. We may not have won as many games at home but we have won more away from home and if we can keep going like that then we will be right up there in the play-offs at least."
Tuesday's game against Rochdale at Spotland is one of a number of games Albion still have left against their promotion rivals and is the first of three successive away games for the team before they return to the Pirelli in a fortnight. With only a small number of points seperating the top seven sides Kee knows that everyone is still going to be aiming to avoid the play-offs.
"All the sides in there at the minute arent going to settle for the play-offs. We all want automatic promotion and everyone knows that Rochdale are a hard team to play. They have a really good team this season and we have got to go up there and everyone has got to fight their battles and make sure we get something out of the game. That is the most important thing for Tuesday."
"It is a difficult run we are about to go on with these three away trips but it could work in our favour. If we can pick up a few points then we will still be right up there and anyone who plays us after that will be thinking we dont want to be playing them. I am confident in the teams ability to go anywhere and beat anyone."