Ritchie's challenge after new crowd low

Mar 19 2008 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

KEEP IT GOING!

ANDY RITCHIE surveyed Town’s 2-1 home win over Brighton and insisted: “It won’t count for anything if we don’t back it up at Bristol Rovers on Saturday.”

A public challenge from chairman Ken Davy to show “passion, determination and enthusiasm” meant the players were under pressure to perform last night.

Goals by Andy Holdsworth, after three-and-a-half-minutes, and Luke Beckett, with a match-clinching 79th-minute penalty, provided only a second win in seven matches.

But it was witnessed by just 6,004 – 342 of them from Brighton – the lowest crowd for a league game since Town moved to their current home in 1994.

With 2008-09 season-tickets due to go on sale within the next four weeks, that’s a worrying attendance for Davy and his boardroom colleagues.

Beating Brighton put Town 14th in League I, and Ritchie says he’s determined to finish the season as high up the table as possible.

“I went into last night’s match still smarting from losing at home to Southend on Saturday, and other than the first 20 minutes of the second half, when they scored and got right back into the game, I got the response I wanted,” said the manager.

“It was great to see Andy Holdsworth score – he took his goal really well and I’m pleased for him – but we should have come in around four up at half-time.”

Brighton levelled through a Nicky Forster penalty in the first minute of the second half and Ritchie admitted: “We shot ourselves in the foot again.

“Michael Collins should have got rid first of all, he laid it back to Rob Page, who dallied on it, and it ends up a penalty and we’re up against it.

“Brighton then did what we did in the first half by giving the opposition no room to play, but we weathered the storm and it was pleasing to get back on top again.

“Now we have to do it again. There are a lot of points still to play for and we owe ourselves as well as the fans a good performance.”

Ritchie was today checking on the fitness of Holdsworth, moved to left-back in place of Robbie Williams, who was left out as a precaution after taking a knock to a foot in training.

Versatile Holdsworth, whose goal was his first of the season, picked up a groin niggle which finally forced him off after 75 minutes.