Calderwood: Team Spirit The Key

The Reds boss sang his side’s praises after their perseverance paid off, with Grant Holt clinching the game with an 87th-minute goal.

It was Forest’s sixth win from seven league matches and gained a little revenge for their 3-0 humiliation at Huish Park last season.

‘It was a great atmosphere in the dressing room before the game. I’d take that for the next 38 games, I’ll tell you,’ said Calderwood.

‘The way they were before the match was absolutely fantastic. They were really clued in, really focused.

‘The atmosphere they created, the pure togetherness, was an improvement from the start of the season.

‘At the start of the season people were hoping that they would do all right as an individual and that the team might benefit from that.

‘At the minute the feeling is that they hope the team does well – and because of that they will benefit as individuals.

‘It has to be because of the start we have made, by getting victories. The start we have made has put a smile on everyone’s faces.’

But Calderwood says the sense of belief after the 1-0 victory is not just limited to those in the playing squad. ‘It is not just at the club, but around the city,’ he said. ‘What people think of us seems to be very positive at the minute.

‘But because of that the players come together on a Saturday afternoon, because they take the help of the supporters.

‘But they are the ones who have to do it, who work and prepare for matches – they have to drive each other on. That is what they did on Saturday, there was a real effort.’

The game was decided by an 87th-minute volley from Holt, who took his tally to five for the season.

‘Grant did fine, but some people’s fine and what we think is fine, what the players’ think is a good performance, might be slightly different,’ said Calderwood.

‘Glory isn’t always in the goalscorer, reward isn’t always earned by scoring the winning goal. He knows that he has worked a shift in terms of his physical effort and he gets a reward for that.

‘It is not just me believing that he can do better in games, I think he believes it.’

The one negative aspect to the win were injuries to both Danny Cullip (muscle tear) and John Curtis (hamstring), who both had to be substituted in the first half. ‘I am not a physio, but I think we are looking at four weeks for Danny, if it is as bad as we fear,’ added Calderwood. ‘But we have good spirit, good physios,’

NEP