Nelse Looking Up

HAVING endured relegation battles during recent seasons, defender Curtis Nelson is happy that the club is now moving in the right direction.

The 20-year-old, who joined the Pilgrims in 2010 from Stoke City, has been a mainstay in the first team for the past three years and is enjoying the fact that there is a different sort of pressure on the squad this season - the pressure of promotion.

 

“It’s brilliant, it’s obviously good whether you've had tough times or not,”said Argyle’s number 17.

 

“It’s been a good season, I think the team has played well and I’ve been glad to have been a part of it.

 

“It’s good for everyone at the club, it’s good for the city and obviously for everyone who’s going to be involved in it.”

 

Going into Saturday’s Sky Bet League 2 game with Oxford United, the Pilgrims sit just two points off final playoff sport, and a win would significantly enhance their prospects of finishing in the top seven.

 

“Every game is a must win game,”said Curtis.

 

“I don’t think anyone goes into a game thinking‘we’ll take a point here’-you've got to go into a game looking for three points every week.

 

“Every game we go for we’re going to go for a win and we’re going to try and take 15 points from these five games.”

 

On Saturday, the game is due to start at the slightly later time of 3.07pm to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough, and marks the start of a crucial final five games for Argyle.

 

The visitors will still believe that they can make that final push for the play-offs, but Argyle will be going in with confidence having beaten their opponents earlier on in the season. Two goals from top scorer Reuben Reid and a strike from on-loan striker Caolan Lavery saw the Pilgrims be victorious at the Kassam Stadium on Boxing Day.

 

“That was a big result for us, especially taking so many points over the Christmas period as well, definitely helped put us in the position that we’re in now.”said Curtis.

 

“I think we needed that result just to keep us in touch with the rest of the pack and obviously a win on Saturday will takes us there as well.

 

“That day we came out on top and hopefully we’ll come out on top again on Saturday.”