NIGEL Clough says that the quality of the finishing saw the Brewers through to the Second Round of the FA Cup.
Albion beat Salford City in tonight’s replay 4-1 to set up a trip to Oldham and the Brewers manager was delighted with a first FA Cup victory in six years for the club.
“It’s a relief that we have got through with players missing and injuries,” he said. “The quality of the goals we scored was the key tonight.”
The Brewers were pegged back to 1-1 after the break after Salford broke when Albion looked like they should have had a foul on Kieran Wallace.
Clough said: “We weren’t comfortable at 1-0 but were keeping it tight and then a foul isn’t given and it leads to their goal which could be game changing. But the reaction of the players was brilliant, and the injustice probably galvanised us a little bit and we scored another three goals and it could have been more.
“Our general play tonight wasn’t as good as it has been at times recently, but the finishing was better. We have scored at the near post, from a set play, which we have been banging on about, and two curlers. That’s all that has been missing from our performances of late, but it was there this evening.
“The goal David Templeton scored was another brilliant effort. We saw what he could do at Doncaster and he scored another one tonight. He’s working harder, looks a bit fitter and it’s brilliant he can step in and make things happen. He picks up niggles, he’s had a serious injury a few years back but when he’s fit, he does things like that consistently and he’s good player to have in our squad.”
Clough can now look forward to the Second Round at Oldham on November 30.
He said: “We are pretty familiar with Oldham and it will be another tough one like Salford but you are 90 minutes from that prize of a potential plum Third Round tie.”