3/1 To Win
Gary Rowett hopes that confidence will continue to build after Derby County ended their eight-game winless run with a battling 1-0 victory against Preston North End.
Tom Lawrence grabbed the only goal with a stunning free-kick early in the second-half to secure a first success in nearly two months for the Rams.
Rowett wants his players to take advantage of the increase in belief that will come as a result of an important win.
He told RamsTV: “I’m pleased, it feels like relief. It didn’t matter how we won the game, we need to play better than that but, to be honest, I’m not bothered today.
“I don’t think it was about the points today or where we are in the league, but more about the psychological angle because the longer the winless run went on, the more pressure there would be on the players.
“We looked a little bit edgy and what a win does it settle everything down and give the players an extra little bit of confidence.
“We have to seize the opportunity of what this result has done for us.”
Lawrence was replaced at half-time during the defeat to Sunderland on Friday but he produced the perfect response at Deepdale with his fourth goal of the season.
Rowett was thrilled with the performance of his Welsh winger - especially after the break - and he explained why it only takes one moment to change the course of a performance.
He said: “It’s typical of the recent run because in the first half, he looked a little bit edgy, but in the second half, as soon as he scored, he was a different player.
“That’s what confidence does for you, and whatever anybody thinks, you can’t just turn it on like a tap.
“It’s a great strike and it was a deserved goal to win the game, but you see afterwards that he looked like our most lively player."
The boss also reserved praise for David Nugent, Curtis Davies and Alex Pearce, who made his first start in the Sky Bet Championship this season.
He added: “There were some good performances today, even though it was a different type of performance.
“Nuge worked his socks off, and for Alex, it’s not easy to come into the team but him and Curtis were very strong defensively.”
The focus now turns to the home clash with Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, and Rowett wants his side to put on a show for the fans at Pride Park Stadium.
He said: “We have to improve our home performances, because we haven’t played well enough and we will need the team ethic and resilience, but also the composure when we attack.
“Hopefully, three points will give us the belief to go and do that.”
