New signing Andy Drury said he enjoyed his full debut in the 1-1 draw with Hull City and is now looking to establish himself in Paul Jewell’s line-up. Drury impressed in central midfield, taking over from loanee Jimmy Bullard, who was unavailable against his parent club.

Drury said: “I enjoyed it, it was nice to get 90 minutes under my belt and hopefully I can build on it. I felt comfortable out there, so I’ve just got to keep working hard to keep my place.”

The ex-Stevenage, Gravesend and Northfleet and Lewes man says he took the step up from Conference to Championship in his stride: “I just went out there to play my own game and enjoyed it. I don’t really get nervous, I just enjoy playing football.”

The former builder seemed to settle into the game very quickly and went close to scoring with an early volley: “It was just a bit too close to the keeper, I caught it well but if it had been a yard or so either side of the keeper it might have gone in.”

The former Luton midfielder, who also impressed when taking most of Town’s set pieces on Saturday, laughed off suggestions that his £150,000 January move from the Hatters was a dream come true: “I hope not, I’d go back to sleep again!

"I’ve just got to keep working as hard I can and see where it takes me this season, then have a good pre-season and then have a good season next season.

“It is a massive step but I’ve come here to be successful and it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to. Hopefully I can keep playing as well as I did on Saturday and keep my place.

“When I signed, the gaffer said that if I do well I’ll get my chance. I felt I did OK at Doncaster and did well in the reserves again and have trained OK. With Jimmy out there was a space to fill and he gave it to me. Hopefully I did OK.”

The 27-year-old admits that there were occasions when he started to think that he might never play league football: “Sometimes, another year goes past and you think ‘Maybe it won’t happen’, but it happened for me, luckily enough the gaffer took a chance on me and hopefully I can repay him.

“The set-up’s fantastic here, it’s all geared up for Premier League football, so hopefully in my time I can help the club get there.”

Can he go even further than playing Championship football and play in the top flight one day? “Time will tell! I hope so.”

Drury’s only disappointment on Saturday was not picking up a full debut victory: “It would have been nice to have got 90 minutes on my debut and finish with a win. In the last 10 minutes they threw everything at it and got the goal, but I thought we played well and hopefully we can build on it.

“The last five or 10 minutes was tiring but they threw everything at us but we could have got a breakaway and won 2-0 or 3-0.

“I think everyone’s disappointed in the dressing room after playing so well. It was definitely a bit gutting.

“In the first half everyone played well, it was probably the best performance since I’ve been here and it was a joy to be involved in.”

Drury hopes he’ll keep his place at QPR on Tuesday and that the team can continue their good form under new manager Jewell: “Hopefully I’ve done enough to keep the shirt, if not I’ll have to work as hard as I can to get the place back again.

“Since the gaffer’s come in I think we’re unbeaten in six and hopefully we can keep that run going, confidence will grow and we’ll play even better.”

Photo: ITFC

Photo: Action Images

Jnr1988 added 09:13 - Feb 21 One of the better first games in a town shirt i have seen.....think Jewell may have discovered someone special with this lad.
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ozzydog added 09:19 - Feb 21 Impressive debut But this business about the parent club not allowing a player to play has to stop. About time someone said, no we take him for all games or not at all, over to you clegg
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dirtydingusmagee added 09:24 - Feb 21 Put in a good shift ,and showed good touches and awareness, hopefully with a few more games his fitness will improve, he certainly didnt look phased by the higher level game.
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PimsOclock added 09:47 - Feb 21 Linked up nicely with Wickham all day. A very good debut, looks like quite a find for Marcus Evans' Pocket money!
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ip5w1ch added 09:53 - Feb 21 Looks self assured, always wanted the ball and was very comfortable in possession. Its all about hunger....this guy has been working hard to get this chance not spent x number of years being mollycoddled at a premier league academy. To think we could've had eleven Andy Drurys for the price of one Lee Martin.
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bluelady added 10:20 - Feb 21 ozzydog but this is a tactic we have used too. Players of ours have gone out on loan with the agreement they cannot play against us. Seems fair enough to me, loaning players out is a good thing but teams (including us) dont want to give our opponents too much of an advantage, a loan player may well play out of their skin against their parent club as a message of bring me back i should be in your first team, so it works both ways for us. As for Drury lets hope Jewell can spot a few more of these jems in the summer, possibly a little younger next time but even so an excellent addition and good luck to the lad shows that good things come to those that wait!

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hogster1970 added 10:23 - Feb 21 makes a nice change to see a midfield player always looking to bring aniother player to push forward, like he did with whickam and martin, alot of time in that postion thats all you have to do , nothing flash but good passes, pity leadbitter couldnt do that he likes to pass back to the back 4 half the time and never looks up, done it a few times on sat when martin was in achers of space, i aint moaning just a point and yes what a find, seen 2-3m palyers not play like that on there debut and all the waffle i need time to settle in ect ect. some do, but if they do then they aint worth the money but this guy is a steel if you are reading this drury keep up the good work

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bluelady added 10:25 - Feb 21 Hogster totally agree with you and actually think we should be looking to drop Leadbitter when Norris is fit again. i would certainly like to see Bullard back in the team on tuesday think we will need him against QPR, so again maybe Leadbitter to be dropped as Healy and Drury both deserve to keep their places? what a good predicament to be in eh!
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tractorblue99 added 10:36 - Feb 21 Really really impressed by drury. It just proves that if you have a manager who can be bothered to look at non-league you can find some real gems.
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sonian_blue added 10:41 - Feb 21 He us given us even more options in midfield. We have an embarrasment of riches in the middle now and it makes a pleasant change to be in a position of strength on the bench too. Things are looking better by the day and my juices are bubbling for next season already! Four points from this weeks games is a good possibility. COYB Boys
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TractorRoyNo1 added 10:51 - Feb 21 very impressed, just proves there are good players in the lower leagues if you look for them - obvious replacement for bully - who we simply can't afford - for next season i hope he and bully start at loftus road, with leadbitter taking over from healey
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tractorboynathan added 10:53 - Feb 21 You were quality first half mate! Leadbitter doesn't deserve to keep his place in the team; people are saying drop healy or drop martin? Why they have been consident performers under jewell. I would be temptated to have a go against qpr, there nothing special at the back, martin and wickam will have there full backs (orr and hill) all day long! Go for it jewell! Play both drury and bullard- and then if drury tires bring on leadbitter ectr? Coyb!

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rosseden added 11:33 - Feb 21 ''But this business about the parent club not allowing a player to play has to stop. About time someone said, no we take him for all games or not at all'' the only way that ever happens is if the club with the player on loan pay full wages for the loan period. Hence it rarely does......
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bluestu71 added 11:49 - Feb 21 Well done Andy and the boys, 3 points vs QPR pls. COYB's!!!!!!!!
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LowstBlue added 12:22 - Feb 21 Drury was very good and showed some nice touches and he didn't mind a tackle either. I just don't understand what the anti Leadbitter comments are about. Thought he had a good game Saturday. He linked well, especially with Drury, had a couple of decent efforts on goal, won most of his tackles and was the holding player in front of the back 4. Consider, for Drury to play the role he did, someone has to play the role Leadbitter did. Wouldn't change the team at all for Tuesday.

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Mark added 12:39 - Feb 21 A really pleasing debut from Drury and it is so much sweeter because we got him for just £150K! The satisfaction of getting a real bargain is something we haven't had for ages, probably since Walters. To think Leadbitter cost 18 times what we paid for Drury (plus vastly different wages no doubt). I think Leadbitter does okay most of the time, but has hasn't showed me he is a £2.7M player.

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dobbie73 added 12:50 - Feb 21 I too was impressed with his delivery, movement and distribution - a decent debut!
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village_blue added 12:54 - Feb 21 lLowstBlue agree with you it was probably Leadbitters best game of the season but he should have been dropped weeks ago but he was the previous managers blue eyed boy as R.Wright was with Magilton. I haven't seen him deliver one good set piece all season ,he had one attempt on Saturday and yet again hit the first defender,also doesn't play the ball forward enough it's always going backwards or square.

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StowTractorBoy added 13:52 - Feb 21 Think it will too much of a luxury to have Healy, Bullard and Drury in midfield as we will definitely need a hard man to deal with the likes of Derry. Leadbitter probably has a bit more steel than the aforementioned so would keep him in prabably at the expense of Drury. It seems harsh I know but playing away at QPR is a bit different to being at home to Hull. His day will come when he will be a regular. We'll see but whatever PJ decides is fine by me.

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DiamondGezzer added 14:20 - Feb 21 StowTractorBoy; I take all of your points and agree whole heartedly, but having seen Drury's debut, [ as the best debut I have seen in a long time ]I think it really would be a tradgedy should he not start on Tuesday. But as you say, PJ will decide.
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DiamondGezzer added 14:22 - Feb 21 P.S. Maybe fitness will decide. He did tire in the last ten minutes.
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Back_The_Boss added 15:20 - Feb 21 Had a decent game but faded towards the end of the match.
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Ipswich24 added 15:44 - Feb 21 I think had fantastic debut and he may need rest tues so I would go with Fulop Edwards McAulay Delaney Kennedy Martin Leadbitter Bullard Healy Wickham Priskin
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brian_a_mul added 15:50 - Feb 21 Well done Adam, A good debut for him. Looks as he can make the step up to Championship level. I wont be surprised if Druary doesnt get in first 11 on tuesday. His fitness suffered badly in the second half and it will be very tough for him to play x2 matches in 4 days. If he isnt 100% fit than I would definately not put him in against QPR.
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jas0999 added 17:00 - Feb 21 He did well. If fit (he tired second half), I would play Drury and Bullard - dropping Healy. You cant spent 20K per week on a player and not play him at this level!
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