An honoured Scott Loach labelled his Derby County debut as ‘a memorable occasion’ after playing 90 minutes in the Rams’ 3-1 Papa Johns Trophy win against Grimsby Town on Tuesday night.
The 34-year-old goalkeeper pulled on the gloves for the first time since his summer arrival from Chesterfield as Derby swept their Sky Bet League Two opposition aside at Pride Park Stadium thanks to a fine first-half performance.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing put the Rams ahead inside six minutes, before Louie Sibley and skipper Max Bird added to the advantage late in a half that the Rams dominated.
Loach himself was called into action when Grimsby did threaten during the opening 45 minutes and he made an excellent reaction stop to keep out Stephen Wearne.
Although his prospective clean sheet was spoiled by Brendan Kiernan’s late consolation, nothing could tarnish a memorable evening for the goalkeeper, who spoke to RamsTV after the final whistle.
On his debut…
It’s an honour to play for a club of this size and stature. If you’d have told me six months ago I’d have thought you were joking. I’m really honoured to be here, I’ve enjoyed my first six weeks and to put on the jersey is a really memorable occasion for me and my family, so it’s nice to have them here. Regardless of the competition, any game for this club is great. I’m a professional footballer and this is what you live and breathe for.
On his role…
Even if I’m out there supporting Joe Wildsmith, that buzz of a walking out there is something I don’t think can be beaten. I’m really enjoying my role, I love being around Joe and we’ve bonded really closely. I’ve taken Harrison Foulkes and youngster Jack Thompson under my wing as well and am giving them any extra bit of experience I can and a bit of belief because they’re the next ones coming through. If we can push them on, the club will be spoilt for goalkeepers in a few years.
On his performance…
The work’s been hard in training compared to what I’m used to. The sessions that have been put on work you really hard, and you’ve seen the tempo that the boys play at. Then you look at the finishing from the boys here, too. It took me a while to get up to speed but we always knew it was a process and it’s nights like tonight that I’ve been able to step in. I know my role and hopefully I’ve given the manager confidence in case I’m needed again.
On the team’s display…
These games are tricky and can be a statement. By putting on a performance like that you can show how professional you are and what your standards are. We’re not saying we’ll win every game and go to Wembley but we’re showing we’re Derby County and we’re here to win. That breeds all the way through the club and you can see that from the young lads that have been involved – Bartosz Cybuslki, Kwaku Oduroh, Darren Robinson and Jake Rooney. It’s filtering through the team from the guys that are setting an example and we’ve got to keep doing that and keep growing.
