Pilkington ready to fire Huddersfield Town’s bid for resurgence

Mar 5 2010 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

ANTHONY PILKINGTON is ready to help Town resume normal service at Gillingham tomorrow.

Lee Clark’s League I promotion-chasing side had been flying on their travels before Tuesday’s 5-0 setback at Southampton.

And the winger wants to kick bitter memories of the St Mary’s Stadium showdown firmly into touch at Priestfield.

After winning at Carlisle, Hartlepool and Tranmere before last Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with Leeds, Town go for a seventh away win of the campaign in Kent.

Pilkington has been a key man in the push to sixth place, scoring eight goals in all competitions and setting up a host of others.

The 21-year-old is quick to praise the backing he’s received from manager Clark, who signed him from Stockport the January before last.

“The gaffer always encourages me,” he said. “He tells me to get into final third, be creative and try to punish defences, to keep crossing and keep shooting.

“I love to score goals – who wouldn’t? – but the main part of my job is to create them, and we have some top strikers here.

“Jordan Rhodes and Lee Novak have been leading the line, and they are two lads who work their socks off every week.

“I know the supporters love to see that effort, but the rest of the players do as well, and over the season, those two have done brilliantly.

“We’ve had some ups and downs, but the key thing now is to keep going, and keep trying to pick off those sides above us.

“We need to forget the other night and remember that because of our form over the whole campaign, teams will still be worried about playing us.”

While the Southampton loss was Town’s first in 12 in the league, 18th-placed Gillingham have only one win in the same number of games.