McKenna: We Can Talk About It After Fleetwood Friday, 7th Apr 2023 18:38 Town boss Kieran McKenna insisted he’s still not interested in the League One table, despite his side’s 4-0 victory over Wycombe taking them back into the top two. Goals from George Hirst, Conor Chaplin, Wes Burns and a Freddie Ladapo penalty saw the Blues to a comfortable victory over the Chairboys and to second in the table. Coincidentally, Town were the last team to beat Wycombe when scoring four goals when they won 4-1 at Adams Park in November 2021. “It was a good day’s work in the end,” McKenna said reflecting on the game. “It wasn’t an easy game. Of course, it looks like a comfortable win in the end but we know as a group it’s all the little details and the sacrifice and the work that goes into winning any game in this league, but certainly to win in the game today. “We’re just happy to come through it with a good result, a good performance. It took us a little bit of time at the start of the game. Wycombe put one or two extra defensive-minded players in the team and set up in a way to make it difficult to us and it wasn’t easy and we had to be patient. “We were trying to find the solutions, find the spare man, find ways that we could hurt the backline. “But we did that better as the half went on and when you get the first goal from the set play, then that’s always a great start at home and from there we pushed on in the performance and a job well done from everyone.” McKenna was pleased to see his team score again from a set piece as Hirst’s header set them on their way in the 38th minute. “They’re huge, and we want to keep it going,” he said. “We still feel we can improve. The goal today is a good example of that. George, we’ve spoken in the coaching staff and we’re working with everyone on the set plays and it was an area after the first few games that he could do better on and that he could be more of a threat. “[First-team coach] Charlie [Turnbull]’s been working hard with him on his movement and the areas he can get in and it was good for him to get a goal. “But as a team we know how important it is. The players are putting so much focus and attention into the defending set plays at the moment, which when you’re playing against Wycombe are really important. “If you get a goal from an attacking set play and don’t give them a goal from a set play, you know you’ve got a great chance.” The Blues boss was then delighted that his side grabbed their second in the final minute of the half. “Really good goals, all the goals really,” he reflected. “The second and third goals, we exploited the spaces they were giving us. “The timing of the second was important but even then you know still at half-time at 2-0 that you’re not safe, you’re not comfortable and the next goal would be important, so we were really determined to come out again and push for the third goal. “I think when you get that one, you feel like the way the game was going, the result was safe, then it’s about maintaining standards, trying to push for another goal, trying to work for the clean sheet and getting minutes into some players who came onto the pitch and did well as well, and we were able to see the game out in the way that we wanted to.” The third goal, netted by Burns, who earlier had assisted Chaplin’s goal, his fifth assist in five games, the first time anyone has done that since Mo Salah did so for Liverpool in November 2021, gave McKenna the freedom to make a quadruple change as the game moved towards its final 20 minutes ahead of Monday’s game at Cheltenham. “Not Monday particularly in my mind because the players have been training and working so hard, to be honest, everyone,” he said. “There are lots of players who deserve to start at the moment who aren’t starting, there are players who deserve to get in the squad who aren’t getting in the squad, but I think everyone is putting the greater good above themselves because we know that the greater good will be good for us all in the end anyway. “It was just nice to be able to share the minutes around a little bit more and for the players to come on the pitch and do well and have an impact with Kyle [Edwards] winning the penalty, Freddie scoring a penalty, Marcus [Harness] and Kayden [Jackson] got some good combinations on the right-hand side straight away and Dominic [Ball] was able to get in maybe 15 minutes plus extra-time, which will be important to him. “Nice to be able to get some more players on the pitch and with the way the group’s working at the moment, I’d love to be able to get everyone on the pitch and everyone in the squad, but we’re in a good place in terms of competition and the way everyone’s working.” The win and Sheffield Wednesday’s draw at Oxford saw the Blues move back to second but McKenna insists he’s still taking no notice. “I saw the results when I came in,” he said. “It still doesn’t interest me. We can talk about it after Fleetwood [who Town visit on the final day of the season]. “For now, it’s getting ready for Cheltenham. We were speaking about Cheltenham in the dressing room within a minute after the game, the players were speaking about Cheltenham. “The position or a point above or a point below doesn’t matter at this stage of the season, there are 21 points still to play for, so one point here or one point there isn’t decisive at the moment. “What’s decisive is how you continue to perform, respect each game, respect each opponent and that’s what we need to do going into Monday.” The Blues have now won eight in a row, equalling a club record in the league, have kept nine clean sheets on the bounce while not conceding for 866 minutes, also club records. Town are also only the ninth team win eight consecutive league matches without conceding, the first since Manchester United did so in February 2009. Put to him that they are remarkable stats, McKenna, a former Red Devils coach, says they’re not something he’s looking at too closely at present. “It’s a good run,” he downplayed. “Hopefully at the end of the season we can look back on it with pride and think that that was a really good run. Hopefully it can last for longer and we want to keep that going. “You could see the determination in the group at the end to get the clean sheet whenever have the team won. “Hopefully we can keep it going and hopefully we can look back on that at the end of the season with real pride. “But we’re not reflecting on that now, we’re not talking about clean sheet records or winning records or anything like, we’re just talking about trying to get the next three points.” McKenna added that forward Nathan Broadhead took a knock to the ankle he injured at Derby a week ago which was swollen after the match.
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