Brayford backs boss Paterson

BURTON Albion captain John Brayford has spoken out in support of under-fire manager Martin Paterson after the Brewers stayed up on the last day of the season despite losing 3-0 away to Fleetwood Town.

A 2-1 victory by Stevenage over Cheltenham Town ensured that the Robins stayed in the last relegation place that had still to be decided, going down with Carlisle United, Port Vale and Fleetwood.

Brayford, on the bench with a calf injury, came on deep into stoppage time against Fleetwood with the result long decided and, in fact, with Cheltenham’s game already over and their fate known.

After the game, he said that Paterson had inspired the team in difficult circumstances after previous manager Dino Maamria’s departure.

“What the gaffer has brought to this club is quite something, in terms of determination,” said Brayford.

“You can’t implement things straightaway – he came in a few days before the end of the transfer window.

“What I will say about the gaffer is that he’s such a driven person and he got us to the position where it was in our own hands.

“He has been amazing for the lads and amazing for this club, I think, in bringing a young, vibrant attitude towards managing, coaching and looking after people.

“I don’t know how to put it into words and I’m usually OK with words. He got people believing, when they were on the bench or out of the squad that they were going to come in and would be needed.

“It’s easy for an experienced player, they know what the run-ins are like.

“To keep people onside in those circumstances, I think he’s done a sterling job in that way.

“Of course people wanted us to win but when we get to August, Burton Albion will still be in League One and a lot of that is down to the new manager.”

Paterson was subjected to some unflattering chanting from some of the 1,000-strong travelling supporters and Brayford said: “It was absolutely amazing to see all those Burton Albion fans but some of the things they sang, I disagreed with.

“People look at football from what they instantly see and with short memories sometimes.

“It’s easy to forget things like us losing (loan striker) Jonathan Leko after 20 seconds, like missing Sam Hughes for two months, missing Tom Hamer for a majority of that time. But we have finished fifth bottom with the lowest budget in the league.”