Kevin Nolan calls for cool heads amid excitement and pressure of his first Peterborough derby
Kevin Nolan is calling for cool heads from his players amid the excitement and pressure of his first taste of the Nene derby this weekend.
Cobblers are desperate for three points at London Road on Saturday, not only because they would get one over Peterborough and end their poor record on the ground, but also because it would ease growing relegation fears following just one win in the last eight.
Town are only four points above the dotted line in League One having played a game more than resurgent Burton Albion, who to go Wrexham on the same day (12.30pm kick-off), but Nolan hopes this fixture is just what his side needs to get back on track.
"It's why you become footballers,” he said. “You want to play in these big games against local rivals and it's going to be a really good atmosphere. I think we've got 1,600 going which is another fantastic effort. The fans have been superb since I came in.
"I fully expect them to be singing their hearts out at the weekend and hopefully we can give them something to sing about but we are expecting a tough game because Peterborough are in good form. They have got really good wingers and forward line and it looks like it's coming together at the right time for them and when they needed it.
"Darren (Ferguson) is doing a good job with a young team so it's a tough one, they all are, but we have to go there and make sure we earn the right to play and that'll give us a good platform to show our strengths.
"They play some really good stuff but we're hoping there will be times where we can hurt them. We've been good out of possession but on the turnovers we've got to be better and if we are, it'll give us opportunities to create chances and score goals.”
Nolan is no stranger to big derby games having played for Newcastle against Sunderland on several occasions during his playing days, and he knows what it takes to thrive in such pressure situations – he netted a hat-trick in the Tyne–Wear derby in 2010.
"This is where you've got to be calm,” he added. “I've been fortunate enough to play in some big derbies and you can enjoy it once you've won and executed the game plan but you have to do your job first. I fully expect my lads to be focused and ready and if they stick to the game plan and execute it well, it'll give us a great opportunity to get a result at our local rivals.
"I'll be going into it like it's any other game because we have to make sure our temperament is right. We can't get too carried away or fanatical with what's going on and we can't lose our cool in the heat of the moment. We need to be calm and focus on our job. It'll be a great atmosphere and these are the games, as a footballer, that you should really enjoy and embrace – but make sure you keep your cool.”