LEADING scorer Pawel Abbott is determined to fire Town to safety and today admitted: "I needed a kick up the backside!"
Dropped by manager Peter Jackson at Chesterfield, he returned with a goal in Saturday's 5-3 win against Stockport and earned a standing ovation for his performance.
With Town now 11 points clear of the drop zone and opening talks with striker Delroy Facey about a permanent move from Hull City, Abbott now hopes to top 25 goals and promised never to take his "foot off the gas again."
Eyeing Friday's testing trip to high-riding Hartlepool (7.45), Abbott admitted: "There are times when I need a kick up the backside, the manager knows that and, with him dropping me to the bench, it has made me a lot hungrier again.
"Obviously you are always disappointed when you're not in the starting line-up, but maybe there have been times when I've not been putting in as much effort as I could and the gaffer has picked up on it.
"Thanks to that, I'm starting to play a lot better again and I'm determined that now I'm back, I'm back for good.
"I'm not going to let go and take my foot off the gas again. I want to keep my place in this team."
The 22-goal marksman says Jackson's squad - in which Adnan Ahmed is to be offered a new contract - all want to finish the season well to reward the fans for their backing.
"The fans have been right behind me from Day One, I'm really grateful to them for that and to get a standing ovation on Saturday meant a lot," he said.
"It's a shame for such a big club with such a fantastic following that we aren't higher up the table and challenging, but we are a young side and we will definitely learn from this.
"I think we've matured a lot since the beginning of the season, I've no doubt we will stay up and see out the campaign well and then we will return stronger than ever to have a big season next time.
"We all want to do it for the fans. They are the reason we all want to succeed here."
