Town winger Gwion Edwards has reflected on his first season as a Championship player and admitted: “I knew it would be tough at this level — but not this tough!”

However, the Welshman is not ready to throw in the towel and bow to what many people believe is inevitable — that the rock-bottom Blues will be playing in England’s third tier next season for the first time since way back in 1957.

Edwards, who cost £700,000 from Peterborough last summer, was asked how hard a first season it had turned out to be and replied: “It has been tough. I knew coming into the Championship would be tough, but I didn’t think it would be this tough or that I would be in this situation. But that’s football for you and you have to get on with it.

“You need to keep fighting, both personally and as a team as well, which I think we have done. We’ve put up a fight but we’ve just been very unlucky.

“Now we are looking to turn it around on Saturday at West Brom when we have another chance to try to get three points and give the fans something to cheer about.”

Has it been mentally taxing? “After every loss, especially in this situation and when you have long trips back home, you take time to think about it,” he added.

“But you’ve got to try to stay upbeat and come in the next day with a smile on your face and looking to try to put things right.

“We know we have had to keep going so that’s what we have tried to do and we will carry on doing that right through to the end of the season.”

A half-time substitute last week in the 2-1 home defeat by relegation rivals Reading, Edwards equalised with seven minutes remaining and Town looked to be on the ascendancy as they chased the winning goal, only to allow visiting substitute Mo Barrow to snatch a 90th-minute clincher.

Edwards said: “It was really disappointing but we just have to keep on going, as we have done all season. We need to keep on fighting and concentrate on Saturday’s game at West Brom.

“Straight after the Reading game what was said was said and we started to look forward to the next game. It’s tough and it has been a tough season but we’ll keep on going.

“It would have been nice to get three points because it would have put us in a much better position. But we’ll keep on fighting as we’ve done. We’ve regrouped and hopefully now we can take something from Saturday’s game and try to turn things round.”

Despite the reality of the situation in which Town currently find themselves — 12 points plus goal difference from safety and with only 11 games left to play — Edwards remains adamant that they can survive.

He said: “We’ve been written off all season but as far as I keep saying and everyone keeps saying — especially the manager — we’ve got a good group of lads who have stuck together all the way through a tough situation.

“We’ll just keep on fighting as we have done and hopefully, maybe with a little bit of luck, we might still turn things round and we can get away with three points on Saturday.”

Looking back to the gut-wrenching defeat by Reading last week, Edwards continued: “When I scored and I saw the ball hit the back of the net I was thinking to myself ‘We can go on and win this game’.

“The fans gave us a bit of a lift as well and you like to think you can at least see the game out or maybe even nick the last goal.

“But Reading have gone and done it and that’s the story of our season really — those little lapses of concentration, little mistakes, whatever it is, we’ve not done enough as a team, whether it’s defending or taking our chances at the other end.

“We didn’t take the risks that we should have taken or we could have put the game to bed.”

Edwards has now scored five goals in his first season at Championship level. He was also on target in the corresponding game between the sides at the Madejski Stadium in November and last week’s goal against the Royals was the first time he had found the net and finished on the losing side.

He added: “Five is a decent tally but I’d like to have a few more and I’ll be looking to score a few between now and the end of the season because it will help the team as well.”

“I started off the season really well and I think it was just difficult in the situation we’ve been in to keep it going and not lose momentum.

“The gaffer had to try to find a winning team and he took me and a few others out because our form had dipped. But I’m back now, I feel fresh and I’m ready to go again.

“I understood the gaffer’s decision to leave me out. I’ve been dropped at other clubs and in that situation you just have to keep on going, keep your head down and show what you can do. Then, if you get a chance, you have to make sure you take it.

“I got injured as well, which didn’t help. It wasn’t anything serious but it’s always frustrating to be injured and miss games.

“It was niggle in my groin, which made it painful when I was sprinting, and I needed an injection to get some fluid away, which it did. I’m back in the side now and feeling really fresh.”

Photo: TWTD

SouperJim added 16:46 - Mar 7 One of the first names on the team sheet for me, really exciting player to watch and could be massive for us next season. Keep going Gwion!
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GSH71 added 16:47 - Mar 7 I quite agree with you mate
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Northstandveteran added 17:00 - Mar 7 Soon be back in your comfort zone Gwion so don't get stressed.
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MrTown added 17:13 - Mar 7 Feel Paul Hurst might be saying the same thing right now.
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therein61 added 17:18 - Mar 7 He's done well before and on returning after his injury, his comments about the championship being tougher sums up our slide as he in my opinion is the only one of the naughty gnomes signings who have looked capable of adapting to the division.
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Coastalblue added 17:20 - Mar 7 I find I need to relieve fluid from my groin quite often too
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Cloddyseedbed added 17:26 - Mar 7 Yes I have heard you have been dropped at the other clubs, your just not consistent enough for me either Gwion. Personally I don't think you try hard enough and want it enough. Obviously as you get dropped I'm not alone in that thinking. No doubt you have the talent, you proved that in the 1st 2 games then where'd you go?
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jas0999 added 17:40 - Mar 7 Our player who should be starting above loans or players who won't be with us next season. Key man in league one. Sadly, Edwards was one of only a couple of decent players signed in the summer. We let better players go. That's why we are finding it tough unfortunately.
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ITFCsince73 added 19:24 - Mar 7 Will be all the better for this season. Was respected last time out in L1. And I expect him to be a key player for us next season. As I do with Nolan, Jackson and Harrison. As it stands all very very good L1 players. All proven at that level. Jackson L2 winner. You would expect them all to hit the ground running come Aug.
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