MATT AS A HATTER TO SAVE TERRIERS
Luton escape act spurs on Pearson
MATT PEARSON is taking inspiration from Luton’s escape act in 2020 as he plots survival in the Championship with Huddersfield.
Pearson was at the Hatters when they took 10 points from their final 12 and beat Blackburn on the last day to stay up.
He claims Huddersfield must show the same fighting qualities going into today’s relegation shoot-out with Birmingham – with both sides in the bottom three.
“I’ve been in situations where we’ve been in the relegation zone at Luton,” said the Yorkshire-born defender.
“We were in the relegation zone going into the last two games and we managed to get out.
“I remember playing Blackburn on the last day of the season and we had to win.
“So it’s a similar situation now, going into the games, having to win games.
“In that season, we didn’t have it in our hands, so we were going through periods where if certain teams won it would put it out of reach for us.
“Thankfully, we managed to get it back and it came down to our last game and we got the win against Blackburn.
“So it’s just about believing and fighting until the end. That fighting spirit, that’s what we need.”
Last Saturday’s 4-0 home defeat to Swansea was a hammer blow for the Terriers and they have slipped three points below the survival line.
They must beat Birmingham, who are two points ahead of them, at the John Smith’s Stadium and Pearson says they have tried to shut everything else out and focus on the game.
He added: “We’ll do our best to get the win and then we’ll see where we are. As long as we can give everything we’ve got and fight, as long as we have no regrets, the outcome will be what it is. Hopefully we can come out on top.”
Pearson, 30, survived last season under Neil Warnock and says today’s showdown with Brum is the biggest of his career, adding: “It’s a big game for everyone at the club.”
Birmingham interim boss Gary Rowett says his side will be on the front foot as they bid to ensure history repeats itself.
The Terriers were relegated from the second tier after losing to the Blues on home soil 23 years ago and a similar result will end Town’s five-season stay at this level. A draw could be enough to lift Blues out of the drop zone and keep second-bottom Town two points adrift of them going into the last game. Birmingham are winless in their last eight Championship away matches but Rowett said: “Sometimes as the away team, rather than sit and wait, you have got to go and meet fire with fire.
“We want to be on the front foot and we want to attack. We don’t want to play it like an away game and wait for something to happen.
“You have got to go and make sure you’re ready to put your own intensity into the game early on.”
Brum will be backed by a sell-out 2,500 away allocation in West Yorkshire and Rowett added: “I’m just disappointed we’ve not been able to give the fans more points since I came back to the club because they deserve it – they have been magnificent.”
Dion Sanderson (inset) is set to keep his place at the heart of defence despite being stripped of the club captaincy, with the 24-year-old due to appear in court next week on drink-driving charges.
Rowett said: “We didn’t feel the actions were representative of being the captain, at least in the short term.”