Holden staying grounded after 'outstanding' football

The Robins clocked up a fourth consecutive win through goals from Nahki Wells and Andreas Weimann while they kept a clean-sheet for the third time this season.

Head Coach Holden told Robins TV: “I really enjoyed it – some of the football we played was outstanding. I said to them before the game that you can’t come to a place like this and not have to scrap at times and we did that throughout the game.

“Stoke throw balls into the box, they are direct, and maybe at times we could have done a little bit more to stop that…you get the goals and then you sit in and you bring pressure to your door so to speak…but when the ball came in the box we put our bodies on the line to protect the goal and Bents (Dan Bentley).

Grounded

Holden is keeping his Northern feet grounded, saying: “This was a tough game for us and the boys have gone out there and really performed. That’s four from four and now we want to go five from five. It’s a pleasing start but that’s all it is and it’s about preparing for the next game.”

‘Brilliant goals’

“We scored two brilliant goals. The first one was excellent timing right on the stroke of half-time but we were in the ascendancy at that point - we’d had chances and I don’t think Bents has had a save to make in the game and to get the second goal when we did, to put them to bed, was pleasing. All in all it was a really strong performance.

“Like he did for his header the other night, Chris has put himself into an area where he might get a little bit hurt. It looked like a tight angle for Nahki but it was a great strike over his shoulder to score. He’s a goalscorer and that’s what he does when you get the ball in there. In the second half we have had Antoine Semenyo come off the bench and Famara Dièdhiou combine for the second goal. It’s a team game – I’ve said that – and we have another big game on Thursday night.”

Captain Mawson

New loan signing Alfie Mawson was handed the captain’s armband, as he was early in the Carabao Cup Round Two game against Northampton Town when Tomas Kalas left the field injured.
“Alfie is an outstanding footballer and brilliant leader,” said Holden

“If you watch him in and out of the training ground…he is helping Zak Vyner and Taylor Moore who were outstanding today, as was Tyreeq Bakinson who I can’t remembering putting a foot wrong - he really controlled that midfield.”

Watch: Other post-match reaction