SCORER Nathan Clarke today praised the rousing contribution of manager Peter Jackson in getting Town straight back into the promotion frame.
Clarke's first goal of the season sealed Saturday's fine 1-0 victory against Torquay and erased bitter memories from the post-Stead home defeat against Darlington.
Sixth-placed Town now tackle Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Ground tomorrow night (7.45) looking for a fifth straight away win to close the gap on the automatic promotion places to just four points.
"It was an important win in a massive game and now we are all up for building on it," said Clarke, who trained today alongside loan signing Pawel Abbott.
"The manager has been a truly massive help. He told us to put the Darlington performance behind us, encouraged us with a fantastic attitude to go out and play and organised a brilliant preparation.
"As a result, we are over the Darlington disappointment, we are right in there battling for the automatic promotion places and we can't wait for the Bristol Rovers game to come around."
On his goal, Clarke admitted: "I'm chuffed to bits!
"I'd been getting some stick as the only defender not to have scored, so it was great to chip in.
"I have to give credit to Boothy, though. He served it up on a plate for me and he was brilliant all through the game."
Jackson - who rested Booth from yesterday's training session in the south-west - endorsed those words while waiting for fitness checks on Andy Holdsworth, Danny Schofield and substitute Nat Brown.
"Boothy ran himself into the ground on Saturday, but then the whole team got stuck in," said Jackson, who adds 21-year-old Preston striker Abbott straight into the squad.
"People defended with their lives when it mattered and I'm thrilled to bits that we kept a clean sheet and showed all the effort and determination we needed.
"Torquay are a very good side but we scrapped for a fantastic result and now we go to Bristol very confident that we can add another win. We are young, enthusiastic and the whole team want to be winners."
Town were training late today to allow Abbott to get over his trip to Poland, where he is now exempt from national service.
"Pawel is coming in as the replacement for Jonathan Stead and he is joining a squad full of commitment," added Jackson.
"We have had our dips this season, but I know our fans appreciate these lads will always give 110% for the shirt and this was a tough job really well done.
"We can play better, we know that, but I'm really proud of the lads and of the supporters.
"To see so many down there - spending their money and giving up their weekend to back us at the other end of the country - was just brilliant and this victory was for them."
Tony Carss - booked for fouls on Jason Fowler and substitute Tony Bedeau - became the ninth red card victim for Town this season and he will miss the trip to Carlisle on February 28.
"I didn't think the first was a booking and on the second he just stuck out a leg. I'm disappointed he got sent-off," said Jackson after a season's first double.
Fowler (twice), Scott, Hughes, Schofield, Clarke, Worthington and Yates are the others to have been red-carded this season.
