Midfielder Alan Judge felt the Blues’ 1-0 victory at Rochdale was “an important win” and that they might well have scored more.

Danny Rowe netted the game’s only goal in the 53rd minute as Town recorded their seventh away win of the season to return to the top of the League One table. Already they have picked up more points, 33, than they did last season when they managed a mere 31.

“An important win, so just delighted all-round,” Judge said. “I thought we maybe could have had a few more.

"I thought their keeper [Jay Lynch] was brilliant tonight, especially the one from Garbs [Luke Garbutt] in the first half, he’s tipped it on to the bar and he’s made a save from mine and from Garbs’s freekick, and Kayden. We’ve had a few chances, we hit the post, so it was good.”

Reflecting on the away form - Town have picked up 22 from a possible 27 points on the road - he reflected: “As the gaffer says, we’re one of the big teams and teams are going to come after us.

“In the first half they had one or two things but as games go on, and I think as you’ve seen throughout the year, we get stronger as games goes on and in the second half we wore them down. I know they had a few long passes but nothing too serious.”

A key factor in the game was Judge and Rowe swapping flanks at half-time: “I think we were, not frustrated that we weren’t getting the ball, we were getting the ball, but the main emphasis was getting the ball out and switching it as quickly as we could, and we did it in the second half and I think it worked.”

Defensively, the likes of Luke Chambers and Luke Woolfenden repelled virtually everything sent into the Blues box, while Gwion Edwards impressed the Irish international in an unfamiliar right-back role.

“Chambo marshals the backline well, Woolfy in my eyes keeps getting better and better every time I see him play,” he added.

“And Gwi was brilliant I thought at right-back. Some good tackles. And Garbs does what Garbs usually does, he’s Mr Consistent at the moment.”

Edwards said earlier in the week that he sees himself primarily as a left winger but Judge says he could carve himself a new niche with displays like yesterday’s.

“He is [a left winger] but if he keeps playing like that then he’s going to be becoming a right-back!” he added. “I thought Gwi did really well.”

Asked whether there’s a calmer player at the club than Luke Woolfenden, who appears to have ice running through his veins, he said: “He does, which is a good for a player like me. He’ll give you the ball, you can give it back to him, so it’s great.

“Him and Chambo are working well, and Willo [James Wilson] when Willo comes in, Willo’s been great. We’ve got a good balance at the moment with the three boys. And Toto [Nsiala]’s still coming back, so that’s very good.”

Despite having been with the Blues since January, Judge is still waiting for his first goal and again came close to breaking his duck with a couple of second-half strikes.

“Yes, the keeper made a good save,” he reflected ruefully. “It’ll come eventually, I can’t keep hitting the post or the keeper can’t keep making saves.”

Photo: TWTD

Garv added 09:14 - Nov 6 Just needs to keep plugging away. His form will come. Gets more stick than he deserves.
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BurleysGloryDays added 13:41 - Nov 6 Top class Judgey, keep going mate you're top top class and will be vital for us over next couple of seasons
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JewellintheTown added 14:27 - Nov 6 The whole team should keep passing to Judgey until he scores, like when a little kid runs on the playing field and everyone goes all gooey and slow motion passes everything to him, and everyone over celebrates and claps every time the kid kicks it. Would be hillarious. Lets give him a big "Wahey!!!" in a Mexican wave kind of style everytime he gets the ball passed to him and get the team to slow-mo passes to him. That'll crack him and us all up and break the tension and hopefully see a more positive Judge.

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