Goal hero Ward glad to be back in the old routine (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Goal hero Ward glad to be back in the old routine

6:00am Monday 4th March 2013 in Sport By Andy Warren

Darren Ward heads home the winner

MATCH-WINNER Darren Ward was relieved to be back doing what he does best at the end of a crazy week – simply playing football.

The 34-year-old leapt highest to meet Luke Rooney’s corner and head home a 90th minute winner for Swindon at Coventry, ensuring Kevin MacDonald’s tenure at the County Ground got off to the perfect start.

Seven days previously the central defender and midfielder Tommy Miller took charge of the Town side for the first time after stepping up to steady the ship following the departure of former manager Paolo Di Canio, but the pair could only earn a single point from home clashes with Preston and Bury.

Following the appointment of MacDonald on Thursday night Ward and Miller went back to concentrating solely on playing duties, and the experienced defender was pleased to mark the Scot’s first game with a dramatic winning goal which he celebrated passionately.

“It’s been a really testing week I would say because that much has happened,” he said.

“It was a great experience, and to get a win and score the winning goal was nice. I was a bit excited and I could have exploded and done 10 laps of the pitch, but I wanted to celebrate in front of our crowd after the week we’ve had.

“Tommy, myself and the lads have been through a lot, so to top it off with a win was great.

“I felt normal, we both did, and we said after the game that although it was a great experience and we would do it again to help out, we are footballers and that is what we do best.”

Ward believes he owed his teammates a goal having missed a series of chances throughout the season, as well as one in the first half at the Ricoh Arena, and was also impressed with the team’s performance.

“The win was for everyone, and I felt like I owed everyone that goal,” he said.

“I owed the players, I should have scored in the first half and I have had a lot of chances this season, and I felt I owed everyone a goal and fortunately I got it.

“We have got to look forward now, especially after dropping three points in the week, but this time we played very well and created plenty of chances and did well to get the win.”

Ward has been impressed with the way MacDonald has handled his first few days at the County Ground, and believes the former Aston Villa assistant has brought a sense of calm to the club.

“We had a chat before the game, and we discussed what happened and what went on, and he has come in and brought a calming atmosphere to the place,” he said.

“He has been good with the players and made it very clear what he wants, and what better way than to get a win.

“He has come in and he is trying to calm the situation and all the players down, and has shown all the players how good we are.”