FROM the wilderness to the limelight, all in a matter of a few weeks!

Carl Marston

By Carl Marston

FROM the wilderness to the limelight, all in a matter of a few weeks!

Ipswich Town full-back David Wright was out in the cold and resigned to training with the reserves and the youth team only a month ago, but on Saturday he was the toast of Portman Road.

Wright, the most unlikely of goal-heroes, gleefully headed home Liam Rosenior's cross to beat injury-ravaged Derby County 1-0, and so finally chalk up Town's first win of the season.

After 14 failed attempts, Roy Keane's men are up and running. They are still bottom of the table, but suddenly the dark clouds have lifted.

“That's it! We have got the monkey off our back,” said a relieved Wright.

“Now hopefully we can start on a run. Everyone was shattered at the end, so no one said too much in the dressing room. The manager (Keane) said “well done” and yes, he was smiling!

“We didn't play that well, but it's a scrappy win. You get three points whether you play magnificent football to win, or just win when not playing that well.”

With reference to his spell on the sidelines - he was not even in the squad for five matches - Wright admitted that he just had to accept it on the chin.

“It's the manager who picks the team and I was not in it, so obviously I was disappointed,” continued Wright.

“He's not scared to change the team and put you back in it, if you're doing well. It all goes on performance with the manager.

“I had to train with the reserves and the youth team for a month, which is a long time. But I didn't see any point in moping around.

“It was all down to numbers, for training, so I had to train with the reserves.

“I just had to go away and get my head down. I didn't speak to him (Keane) about it. I just had to work hard,” added Wright.

Ex-Crewe and Wigan defender Wright did not actually realise that Saturday's game was his 100th league appearance for Town.

But he chose the perfect time to score only his fifth goal for Town.

Wright continued: “I think you could have got decent odds on me scoring today!

“I'm not quite sure why I was up there (for the goal). But I was up there anyway, so I decided to carry on my run.

“The manager is always telling us that if you go, then make sure you go all the way. Jon Walters slipped in behind, so I carried on and managed to get on the end of the cross.

“I wasn't that nervous at the end. I felt quite comfortable, and didn't think that we were going to concede, but then I thought that against Watford in the previous home game as well!” concluded Wright.

Town leaked an injury-time equaliser against the Hornets, but they held firm on Saturday.