Post by Jay on Mar 14, 2006 13:29:55 GMT -1
Paul Ince has begun the countdown to Saturday's trip to runaway leaders Reading by warning Wolves: "Victory over Cardiff means nothing if we lose."
The Championship's champions elect have dropped only seven points at the Madejski Stadium all season and are unbeaten at home since Plymouth won there on the opening day of the campaign.
But Wolves will travel south in good heart after climbing back into the play-off places for the first time since New Year's Day with victory over Cardiff.
It extended their unbeaten run to seven matches, two points behind Crystal Palace, who play Stoke tonight, and one ahead of Preston, who face Ipswich in one of their games in hand tomorrow.
But after seeing Wolves bridge a nine point gap between themselves and the play-offs in six games, Ince insists they must not let their hard work go to waste.
"It was a much needed win on Saturday, but it only sends out a message to our rivals if we go on and win at Reading," said Ince.
"One swallow doesn't make a summer and this is only the start.
"The gaffer said that after the game and said that if we go to Reading and get beaten then this game counts for nothing.
"We've now got to switch on and focus ourselves towards the Reading trip which is going to be a very hard game."
Ince reckons climbing back into the top six for the first time in two-and-a-half months could work in Wolves' favour, both in terms of putting pressure on their rivals and injecting everyone at Molineux with extra self-belief.
"Now we're in sixth place, psychologically it could work for us," said Ince.
"We've seen how teams react under pressure - even Sheffield United are having a little wobble and Preston have drawn a second game in two weeks.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we're there because Preston have got games in hand. But if you've got belief it makes you stronger as a team and a club and hopefully we'll prove that in the weeks to come."
The Championship's champions elect have dropped only seven points at the Madejski Stadium all season and are unbeaten at home since Plymouth won there on the opening day of the campaign.
But Wolves will travel south in good heart after climbing back into the play-off places for the first time since New Year's Day with victory over Cardiff.
It extended their unbeaten run to seven matches, two points behind Crystal Palace, who play Stoke tonight, and one ahead of Preston, who face Ipswich in one of their games in hand tomorrow.
But after seeing Wolves bridge a nine point gap between themselves and the play-offs in six games, Ince insists they must not let their hard work go to waste.
"It was a much needed win on Saturday, but it only sends out a message to our rivals if we go on and win at Reading," said Ince.
"One swallow doesn't make a summer and this is only the start.
"The gaffer said that after the game and said that if we go to Reading and get beaten then this game counts for nothing.
"We've now got to switch on and focus ourselves towards the Reading trip which is going to be a very hard game."
Ince reckons climbing back into the top six for the first time in two-and-a-half months could work in Wolves' favour, both in terms of putting pressure on their rivals and injecting everyone at Molineux with extra self-belief.
"Now we're in sixth place, psychologically it could work for us," said Ince.
"We've seen how teams react under pressure - even Sheffield United are having a little wobble and Preston have drawn a second game in two weeks.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we're there because Preston have got games in hand. But if you've got belief it makes you stronger as a team and a club and hopefully we'll prove that in the weeks to come."
