Post-Match Verdict: 'It's About Keeping Our Foot Down' - Barkhuizen

Derby County forward Tom Barkhuizen says it's important the team 'keep their foot down' as they prepare to enter the final stretch of the 2023/24 Sky Bet League One season.

Barkhuizen scored the second goal as the Rams ran out 3-0 victors at Bristol Rovers on Saturday and the 30-year-old believes the relentless nature of that display needs to be carried on for the remaining nine games of the season if the team are to achieve their goal of promotion.

Speaking to RamsTV after the game at the Memorial Stadium, Barkhuizen gave his verdict on the performance as the Rams equalled a club record with 12 away wins in the league recorded in a season.

On the result...

It was important to put a marker down. With ten games to go ahead of today, this is squeaky bum time and what a way to start the remaining games for us. Now it is about keeping our foot down and trying to win the remaining nine, because we know if we do that we'll get promoted - and that's the aim.

On results going the Rams' way today...

There will be ups and downs and a few swings, but we're only in control of what we can do. It's probably our best performance of the season, or at least one of them. I thought we were relentless, we picked up every second ball and stood up tall and the back five did what they needed to do. We are always dangerous on the counter-attack and three goals away from home, you can't ask for much more than that.

On the message at half-time...

It was to just keep doing what we were doing. We were in control, we had a perfectly good goal disallowed through Dwight Gayle and I thought we could have had a penalty too. We knew if we carried on playing that wa,y then we'd go on and win the game.

On the first goal just after half-time...

I didn't actually see what happened, I just saw Dwight Gayle eating grass and trying to head it in! We talk about doing a job on the edge of the box and that was mine. Thankfully I managed to get a shot away, we managed to keep it alive and Dwight was able to get it over the line.

On his goal and combining with Mendez-Laing...

You've just got to get your head up when you get in those positions and he knows I'll always do my best to get up with him. I know he'll be there somewhere if I'm running through! I just had to put it away when the ball fell to me and thankfully I did.

On the mood at the end of the game...

The away fans have been good all season. It's incredible the support we get. Obviously we're happy in the dressing room now, but it's on to the next one now, we've got a big game on Tuesday against Reading and then a massive one on Saturday against Bolton. All we can keep doing is keep picking up wins. If we keep winning, everything will take care of itself.