We won't throw towel in: Boothy

Mar 7 2008 by Mel Booth, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

ANDY BOOTH has revealed his bitter disappointment Town aren’t nearer the play-off chase and admitted: “We’ve only got ourselves to blame.”

The 34-year-old strike legend returned for only the second time since New Year’s Day for the 3-2 midweek defeat at Swindon which left Town’s top-six hopes precariously on the brink.

Despite nursing a black eye from the County Ground clash, Booth is hoping to lead the line again tomorrow and bruise Leyton Orient’s hopes of making the post-season competition by ending Town’s League I run of three successive defeats.

“It’s a difficult task for us to make the top six – but we are certainly not finished,” said Boothy, who travelled with the squad today.

“We’re all disappointed that we’re not closer to the top six at this stage of the season, and we’ve only got ourselves to blame.

“The players the gaffer has brought in and the squad we’ve got here means we are a good team and we all believe we are better than the table currently shows.

“There is still a chance we can get into the top six, but we need to get back to winning ways as quickly as we can and we need to go on a run again.

“Anyone who puts a run together can soon creep up the table. We’ve got Leyton Orient tomorrow and then Hartlepool on Tuesday and if we can come back with six points from those games, we can start looking up again.”

So what is the mood in the camp ahead of the Brisbane Road clash?

“We’ve got to go down to Leyton Orient and win,” said Booth.

“We’ve got Robert Page available again, who has been a big player for us for the last couple of months, and we know we’ve got to go down there and be confident.

“It was a bad half hour which cost us down at Swindon and we know we can’t afford that sort of thing happening again.

“The onus is on us to take it to Orient right from the off and make sure it’s us who are applying the pressure, rather than letting them take the initiative.”

Booth is out of contract in the summer and has not yet had talks about the possibility of a new deal.

“My contract is up at the end of the season but nothing has been said as yet,” confirmed Booth.

“Hopefully I can get a run of starts back in the team and then see what happens after that.”

Swansea are at home to Millwall tonight with a chance to extend their lead at the top of the table.

Leyton Orient – (from): Morris, Purches, Saah, Chambers, Demetriou, Oji, Thelwell, Terry, Palmer, Thornton, Barcham, Ibehre, Gray, Boyd, Nelson, Daniels.

Town – (from): Glennon, Sinclair, Page, Clarke, Mirfin, Williams, Brandon, Collins, Holdsworth, Worthington, Kamara, Booth, Jevons, Beckett, Skarz, Smithies.

Referee – Russell Booth (Nottingham).