3/1 To Win
Rams' top goalscorer praises togetherness and spirit of side after recording important victory over Ipswich Town
Rams' top goalscorer praises togetherness and spirit of side after recording important victory over Ipswich Town
AFTER REACHING 100 career goals, Chris Martin says he will not be resting on his laurels – insisting he wants to score another 100.
Derby County’s top goalscorer scored his 18th goal of the season after he latched on to a long punt up field from Cyrus Christie and flicked the ball beyond Ipswich Town’s goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski.
It proved enough for the Rams to edge the top of the table clash with the Tractor Boys as they moved above their opponents into the automatic promotion places.
Martin admitted that he only discovered his latest milestone when he returned to the changing room – a strike that was a little sweet considering the opposition.
Speaking to Rams Player, the 26-year-old said: “It (the goal) was a little bit different from us.
“Cyrus got the ball and he didn’t want to take any chances in our back third. It fell brilliant for me and I am not sure that their defender has seen me until after he headed it back.
“I was happy to profit from that and I am delighted that we were able to go on and get the three points.
“It obviously made it that little bit sweeter because of my Norwich connections and I got a little bit of stick from the home fans.
“I found out after the game that I had reached that (100 career goals). I knew I was close a couple of months ago, but I don’t think about those things too much.
“I concentrate on my tally for this season, adding to that and then it is all about making sure I keep on improving. I can’t rest on scoring 100 goals, I want to score another 100 goals and we just need to strive to keep getting better.
“The Head Coach instils that in us everyday and we continue to do that from now until the end of the season.”
 The 1-0 win was Derby County’s fourth straight victory as the side also notched their fourth consecutive clean sheet.
It was a result that they had to work hard for – particularly deep into the six minutes of added time after John Eustace had been sent off.
Martin praised the character of the squad to ensure they kept Mick McCarthy’s side at bay – insisting it showed the togetherness and the spirit the Rams have got within their camp.
He added: “This is really tough place to come to, we said that many times ahead of the game and we are delighted with the victory.
“It was a very good performance and every player played well today. We dug in and showed the character that you need coming here because not many teams have, and will, win at Portman Road this season.
“They’ve had a couple of strikers that have been on fire and have been smashing the goals in so we have done well to keep them quiet and get a good clean sheet.
“We had to stand up and be counted against a top side today. They made it very difficult and put a lot of balls into the box, but we stood up against that threat very well.
“Between Granty (Lee Grant) and the rest of the back four, they needed to be at their best to get their fourth clean sheet in a row.
“It shows the togetherness, the spirit and the determination we have got to keep the ball out of the net.
“Even when we was down to 10 men and they were throwing everything at us, we dug in, won our headers and we need that to be successful this season.”
