Akins: Charlton display typifies what we and the boss are about
LUCAS HOPES POOR START CAN BE PUT BEHIND THEM
LUCAS Akins says Burton Albion’s rousing performance to beat Charlton Athletic 4-2 on Tuesday night typified what manager Jake Buxton is all about.
And the club’s longest-serving player hopes the Brewers can now use the result as a platform to improve their League One position.
Victory – their first in 15 games, 12 of them in the League – moved Albion off the bottom of the League One table on a night when they were the only ones in the bottom nine to win.
“First and foremost I thought it was a fantastic team performance,” said Akins, who got the ball rolling by opening the scoring in the ninth minute.
“We carried out what we’d been told to and it’s nice when it comes off.
“To put in the effort that we did, it’s good to get what we deserved from it.
“I think we typified what our manager is all about, as he was as a player and is as a manager as well.
“It’s been a difficult start in terms of results but we’ve continued to work for each other – we’ll take the good times when they come but we won’t get carried away,
“Make no bones about it, when you deserve to get nothing from a game we’ll come out and say so and on Saturday (the 3-1 defeat at home to Northampton Town) we didn’t deserve anything. The better team won on the day. “We analysed the last game and one of the things we said was that we had to have more shots, we had to work the keeper and their back four.
“We did that, we got four goals and we could have had more.” There was an eivdent determination to put things right among the Burton players from the first whistle, as Akins acknowledged.
“We knew we had to start fast and get at them, so to get a goal early on was good,” he said.
“Other times when we have done that, we haven’t capitalised on it.
“But there was a renewed concentration, togetherness and hunger to go out and attack. I hope the fans watching at home enjoyed that.
“We know our fans appreciate and applaud us if they see us put 100% in and our bodies on the line. That’s the least we can do.
“It was important that we showed the fight and quality we did. It’s only a start and we’re still a long way from where we want to be but it gives us a platform to work from now.”
Akins insisted – as his captain, John Brayford did last week – that the spirit in the Burton camp is good and that they are frustrated that results have not matched the level of preparation for games so far.
“It’s mad how football goes sometimes,” said Akins.
“Everything is right, the environment is there to thrive and drive up the table.
“In my time here, it’s some of the best preparation, one of the best sets of lads. Everyone is pulling together so it’s disappointing when it’s not coming off on the pitch, when everything is set up right.
It was a fantastic team performance. We carried out what we’d been told to and it’s nice when it comes off. Lucas Akins
“It’s a fantastic environment and the manager could not be doing any more for us.
“When you’re a new manager, you want to hit the ground running and as players we take responsibility (for that not happening).
“As a senior player here, I take responsibility, for not probably doing as much as I possibly could.
“I’ll always give 100% but sometimes my quality could be a bit better. I hold my hands up to that and the other lads will as well.
“There’s plenty of the season left – nothing’s won or lost in November. It’s up to us now to take responsibility and crack on.
“We know we’re a nice family club, a small club for this division, but we stick together through good and bad and we punch above our weight.
“The manager has reiterated that to the lads. That feeling we have (after the win), we have to carry that on now.”