Town goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky says the Blues have reacted strongly from Saturday’s East Anglian derby defeat and is now fully focused on the final five matches of the Championship season.

The Blues were beaten 1-0 by arch-rivals Norwich City at Carrow Road after Marcelino Nunez’s first half free-kick found its way in off the post to extend the Canaries unbeaten record over Town to 15 years.

Despite the obvious disappointment, Kieran McKenna’s side remain second in the Championship table after 41 matches with 15 points to play for between now and early May.

Hladky believes the reaction and focus in training would be the same regardless of the result, with two home matches in quick succession the sole focus this week at Playford Road.

“We’re trying to be as strong as possible and come through training with a clear head, go again and focus,” he said.

“Even if we win or lose, you have to come here and be ready to work again because the season comes thick and fast and there’s not really room for disappointment.

“I wouldn’t say [it was tougher to take]. Obviously, we know the context and we know that the matchday is going to be a bit hostile and tense away from home, but not really during the week in preparation.”

On Nunez’s goal, which ultimately proved decisive, Hladky said: “We always watch all the goals back, not just the goals but all the situations all over the game and we’re always trying to analyse it.

“This was one where I think I could have done a bit better in terms of my leading legs, my pushing legs and details like that.

“In the game I was a bit disappointed because it was 25-28 yards out or something like that and you don’t want to be in a position where the ball has ended up in the net. I’ve watched it back, I’ve analysed it and we have to move forward.

“It’s my job and there’s no excuses for thinking ‘I should do that’ and ‘I had to organise that’. It’s a job that you’ve got things to do in every single moment of the game.”

Town have still won nine of their last 11 matches, including their last five at home, scoring 19 goals in those matches on Suffolk soil.

Furthermore, Town’s promotion rivals Leeds United lost 2-1 at Coventry City later in the afternoon. That result meant the Blues held on to second position with promotion to the Premier League still in their hands going into the final five-match run in.

Asked whether that result softened the blow, Hladky responded: “You have a look at the table and you see the results, but I’m going to say the same thing that we have to pick up the points and we to be focused on ourselves and be ready for every game.

“We have the advantage to do it ourselves as we are one point ahead of Leeds so we hold the cards. As much as we can, we want to win every game and hold this advantage that’s in our hands.”

Asked if he was planning to watch the Whites, who are in action on Tuesday evening, Hladky said: “I’m probably not even going to be watching the game.”

Goalkeepers pride themselves on clean sheets and, in his debut Championship season, the Czech glovesman has kept 13 of them to date. That total is bettered only by Illan Meslier (17) of Leeds and West Bromwich Albion’s Alex Palmer (16).

However, while Hladky acknowledges stats including clean sheets provide their own use, he is far more focused on performances and winning football matches for the team.

“I’m not really following the stats,” he said. “They can prove your performances but I’m not the person that follows every single number in my season and watching where I am.
“I’m thinking more about the results and the performances in general.”

The schedule for the final weeks of the season means the Blues have a two-week break after this weekend’s visit of Middlesbrough, before playing three times in the final seven days of the regular season.

On the fixture calendar, Hladky said: “It is what it is. If it comes like that then you have to take it and find the advantage of that. If that would have been in a different scenario, we wouldn’t have looked at excuses. We’d have taken it, accepted it and made the most of it.”

Finally, the Blues goalkeeper spoke about his own goalkeeping idols growing up and who he models his own game off in the goalkeeping landscape today.

“You have to look at the history because I’m 33 now,” he considered. “I would say Fabien Barthez was one of them, and then a little bit later on was Petr Cech.

“There are plenty [nowadays], to be fair. I’m not at the age where you look up for one person you want to follow. You’re taking it more as a job and you want to learn from the good bits you can see around.”

Photo: TWTD

MK1 added 18:13 - Apr 9 It was a great strike. Heads up and we move on to Wednesday. Let's as fans, give everything we have to help the boys across the line.
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