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Taylor-made victory

Simon Smedley
29/10/2008

COUNTY’S Jason Taylor insists it is still too early for anyone to talk up their chances of a push for the play-offs.

After a foot injury in pre-season, Taylor finally returned to first-team action with a goal in last Tuesday’s 2-1 win at Milton Keynes Dons.

He followed that up with another starring performance in the Hatters’ engine room in the win at Hereford on Saturday, on a day when he was also handed the captain’s armband by boss Jim Gannon due to the continuing absence of the injured Michael Raynes.

After Tommy Rowe had popped in County’s dramatic late winner at Edgar Street on Saturday, Taylor told the Express: "The lads are buzzing, it was great to come away with the three points.

"Overall I think we deserved to win the game though. We worked our socks off all game and kept on pressing right to the end. We had some earlier chances where maybe we ought to have worked their keeper a bit better, but everyone is just pleased to have got the result in the end."

Taylor is delighted to have been thrust back into a team whose back-to-back wins propelled them into ninth place in League One, just one point shy of Peterborough United in the final play-off position.

He said: "It was unexpected for me to get the call for Tuesday at Milton Keynes, I’m just glad to be back playing now to be honest.

"It’s nice that games are coming thick and fast, it does feel like I’m part of it all again. It’s great to be back.

"I’d only played 60 minutes for the reserves before last Tuesday, but it’s been brilliant.

"The morale is good and the gaffer has been pleased with the back-to-back wins and the way in which we’ve worked so hard to gain those wins."

Taylor was loath to talk too much about a potential play-off bid though.

The likes of Oldham Athletic, Southend United and Colchester United will all fancy their chances of making it into the top six.

He concluded: "We’ve just got to take it game-by-game at the moment, you never know where you’re going to end up at this early stage in the season. We’re all aiming high, but we’re in a new league don’t forget, although we are adapting really well. It’s going good for us."