Norwood Is Clock Watching As Rovers Look To Up The Heat

“Sometimes in a title race it can be the little things,” he tells us this afternoon as we discuss Saturday’s live BT Sport fixture with Eastleigh.

“We kick-off at 12.15pm, the others don’t play until 3pm. By the time they walk out for their warm up they will know our result - and hopefully it’s a Tranmere win!

“If it is, if just puts that little extra in a few minds. It would bring some added pressure. If we win, they will know they need to as well. If can make a little bit of a difference.

“Of course, if we lose it has the totally opposite impact and it will give Boreham Wood, Sutton and Macclesfield a boost!”

Norwood appears to be enjoying his best season for a number of years. Fresher, fitter and finishing better than he has been since his Forest Green Rovers days.

But last weekend’s trip to Boreham Wood gave Rovers an unwanted kick in the stomach, just as they were building up a head of steam.

“We’d gone into that game having just won 4-0 at Dagenham and we played some fantastic football,” Norwood said. “It was a big shame we lost that, but we are still in it even though Boreham Wood jumped ahead of us.

“We need to win our last eight, but we are capable. We won nine out of ten earlier in the season and we can do something like that again, that’s not me paying lip service to the situation. I honestly believe we have it in us, but we can’t afford another defeat I don’t think now.

“We’re still in it, and if we can beat Eastleigh then we will see what happens elsewhere. One thing is for sure and that’s points will be dropped. We saw that last weekend when all three of us lost!

“The real business starts with five games to go. You have got to be able to handle the pressure and we’re about to see who can and who can’t.”

They’ve been together for a few years, but finally we are seeing what a James Norwood and Andy Cook partnership is all about.

“We’ve got 35 goals between us now and things are getting better with every game,” he said. “He is a lot fitter, it’s so noticable.

“We have the stats given to us and Cooky is now covering around 1,000 extra meters a game compared to what he was. That’s pretty good!

“He is working so hard for the team and we have been a different side because of it. Now we just need to keep on winning games and putting more and more pressure on.”