Ritchie dishes out the hair-dryer treatment

Mar 18 2008 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

TOWN players came in for a spot of the old hair-dryer treatment after Saturday’s last-gasp 2-1 defeat by Southend.

And boss Andy Ritchie, who admits it’s rare for him to take the Alex Ferguson approach, is hoping his words hit home.

He wants to see a major improvement at home to League I play-off chasers Brighton tonight – both in the scoreline and Town’s approach to the game.

“Brighton are on a roll, and we have to be ready for a battle,” said Ritchie of the side he played for between October 1980 and March 1983.

“As I said straight after the Southend game, I was livid to lose in the way we did (Alan McCormack’s winner came in the third minute of stoppage time).

“It was basically a hopeful upfield punt from the keeper and a header on. McCormack took a gamble by making the run, and it paid off big style.

“He showed anticipation, and as a professional footballer, that’s what you have to do, while we switched off, which is just what you can’t do.

“You have to be thinking one step ahead all the time, and at the moment, we’re reactive when we need to be proactive.

“It’s rare for me to lose my cool, and I put my point across in no uncertain terms after the game.

“In yesterday’s training session, I tried to get the message through in a calmer manner, and we’ll see whether it’s hit home.”

Brighton are chasing a third straight victory tonight, when success would put them into the top six (and top five if it’s by two goals or more).

Town have suffered five defeats in six outings and, two of them at the Galpharm (Swansea and Southend).

Ritchie, who continues to pursue a loan striker (the deadline is a week on Thursday) expects Danny Schofield to be available, even though the wantaway midfielder had talks with an unnamed rival club at the weekend.

But as well as long-term absentees Danny Cadamarteri and Phil Jevons, defenders David Mirfin (back) and Joe Skarz (ankle and calf) are still sidelined, although Ritchie hopes the latter will be in contention for Saturday’s Bristol Rovers trip.

Eighteen-year-old frontman Danny Broadbent is likely to be back on the bench after making his home debut as a substitute against Southend.

Town: Glennon, Sinclair, Williams, Clarke, Page, Collins, Worthington, Holdsworth, Kamara, Booth, Brandon, Beckett, Schofield, Berrett, Hardy, Young, Racchi, Akins, Smithies.

Brighton: Kuipers, Whing, Elphick, Lynch, Mayo, Cox, El-Abd, Thomson, Westlake, Forster, Murray, Hart, Robinson, Dixon, Fraser, Butters.

Referee: Darren Deadman (Cambs).