Tom Nichols reflects on Stockport victory.
Gillingham striker Tom Nichols was delighted with the opening-day victory at Stockport County.
Nichols led the line on his own for much of the game as he pressed from the front, running himself into the ground.
The forward was full of praise for the effort and determination that his teammates showed throughout the game, but Nichols was keen to reiterate that there is a long way to go following the 1-0 triumph.
Thoughts on the game…
It’s a brilliant win. There are no two ways about it. It’s a very tough place to come, and they are one of the best sides in the league. They will be up there come the end of the season.
It was resolute, and we defended well. We got into more dangerous areas than we did last year. I thought we played really well, and for an away performance against one of the best teams, you cannot ask for a lot more. The substitutes were brilliant when they came on, and they helped us.
We’ve got a really good squad here and a togetherness. That showed in the game today.
We played really well. They were always going to dominate the ball, as that is what they do. We knew that. I thought we were dangerous, and we defended brilliantly.
On Ashley Nadesan…
I thought a lot of people saw how fast he was, and he scares the life out of defenders with his pace, and he’s a very unselfish player. He does a lot of hard work and yards. He’s going to add a different dimension to this front line. He’s a lot quicker than I am, and Hawks. We’ve got a good mix at the moment.
I think that a lot of people today saw that Nadders will be a really good addition for us.
The squad…
I thought that everyone to a man, substitutes included, played really well. We’ve got great options. Clarky [Max Clark] came on at left-back and did really well, he’s an excellent player. We’ve got options all over the pitch, which is good. It was a really good shift from the team today.
The mindset of the team…
We knew that we had momentum coming into it [the new season], and we didn’t want that to drift away. Momentum is a huge thing in football, and I think everyone at the club is pulling in the right direction. We’ve just got to keep going.
There is a long way to go, and we have not done anything yet. We’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing.
The supporters…
They are brilliant. To score a late winner and seeing them going mental is what you play football for. They were loud all game, and they were brilliant. I cannot speak highly enough of them. Home and away, they are brilliant.