Derby County First Team Coach Matt Hamshaw only has his focus on what's to come after the Rams made it 17 matches unbeaten with a 3-2 victory away at Cheltenham Town on Saturday.


Conor Hourihane, Max Bird and Tom Barkhuizen all scored to ensure the team bagged themselves another three points on the road in Sky Bet League One and Hamshaw is now looking forward to a return to Pride Park Stadium for a top six battle against Bolton Wanderers next Saturday.

Speaking to RamsTV after the match, the First Team Coach reflected on the result, Barkhuizen's goalscoring form and looked ahead to next week's clash.


On the result...

We've won 3-2 away from home at what is a difficult place and fair play to Cheltenham, they've won eight games I think so far, so that just shows how tough it is to come here.

I thought at times we were absolutely outstanding in our forward play and we should have probably taken a few more opportunities. Would we have taken a 3-2 win this morning though? Yes, we probably would.


On digging in towards the end...

All winning teams have to hang on and have to defend well and have to press high and work hard. This group is a fantastic group. For the lads to keep going and keep playing as they are - we've got a great group that want to work hard for the football club.

The run goes on and that's what we want to keep doing. Long may it continue.


On the instant response after going 1-0 down...

Cheltenham had a bit of momentum and the fans got into it but what was pleasing is that when we did score to get level there was no celebration, it was about getting the ball out of the net and going again.

And then Birdy, what a strike. We've been banging on at him to shoot more and, wow, what a strike that was.


On Tom Barkhuizen's form...

I said to him when he came off: "We've made you a goalscorer now, haven't we?"

You just go through runs sometimes and he's getting himself in the right areas and getting in between the full-backs and centre-halves. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing is doing the exact same and Lewis Dobbin is too.

It's important that we keep getting goals from all areas.


On the unbeaten run...

It doesn't matter, because it's all in the past. We look to next week, we look to the next game and that's how we are as a group of players and a group of staff.

There will be questions now surrounding the top two but it doesn't matter what anybody else does; it's down to us. We need to take care of our business and that's what we are doing.


On Bolton Wanderers next week...

Any game at our ground is a big game. The turnout there and today is fantastic.

It will be unbelievable again next week and I know I don't need to do this but my message to the fans is just to keep behind the lads, keep going, even if we're 1-0 down - it doesn't half make a difference - as you've seen today.