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Search forPearson sure there's more to come as Brewers hit the heights
Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 07:30
The Brewers could actually lose that lead tonight, with Histon and Torquay United, who sit three points behind them, both playing games in hand.
But Albion have two home games coming up next – one when Histon and Torquay are next in FA Cup action – so the opportunity to build on their position is clear.
Summer signing Pearson, who reached 10 league goals with his penalty winner at Lewes on Saturday, says he and his team-mates are relishing the challenge.
"Once you hit the top, you definitely do start to think about trying to stay there," said Pearson.
"The guys have said to me that, as well as they played last season, they were never at the top and we're enjoying the feeling now.
"But it's a difficult one because, at the same time, we're not talking a lot about it.
"I know everyone says this but it really is all about concentrating on the next game.
"The gaffer is always telling us that it's simple – go out there and win the game and you stay at the top."
That is just what the Brewers have done in their last two matches, with hard-fought 1-0 wins at Lewes and Northwich Victoria – and Pearson admits that they have not been at their best.
"There's definitely better to come from me – and the team," said the 23-year-old, who arrived at Burton on the eve of this season after a 35-goal campaign for Bishop's Stortford, which saw him voted the Blue Square South player of the year.
His brief was a potentially daunting one – to fill the boots of departed top scorer Daryl Clare.
But a goal within two minutes of his debut, which won the opening game of the season 1-0 at Salisbury City, went a long way to making him an instant hero with the Burton faithful.
"I said at the time that it was an awesome start for me to score that quickly with my new team – but, at the same time, the three points were more important right at the start of the season," said Pearson.
"We haven't been playing as well as we can for the last couple of games and we do seem to play better at home.
"It's not something we can really put our fingers on at the moment, although, on Saturday, Lee Morris and I missed a few chances which we would perhaps have been expected to score.
"You always want to work on your whole game as a player and everyone knows I can improve my heading.
"I did actually score a few with my head last year but I'm a big lad and people naturally expect me to be good at it.
"As long as it's something you've identified and you work on it, it's OK – after all, if I was perfect at everything, I'd be playing in the Premier League!"
Pearson need not worry too much. He had gone five league and FA Cup games without a goal before converting the penalty at Lewes but manager Nigel Clough is plainly happy with the effort he is putting in and the striker maintains that he was not concerned about his dry spell.
"I always want to score goals, of course," he said.
"But I've been getting chances and you don't mind missing some because you know that, when they're still coming, you're going to score some of them.
"Shaun Harrad's been scoring a few as well.
"If the team wasn't scoring and we were losing games when I wasn't scoring, it would be a bigger problem."
Pearson has clearly been working hard even while the goals haven't been going in and the fact hasn't gone unnoticed by his manager, who has moved from talking about choosing two of his five strikers to saying that the choice is which of the other four will partner Pearson.
"I didn't know he'd said that," added Pearson.
"But it's pleasing to hear, although I know if I wasn't doing what he wanted, he'd pick someone else – there's no favouritism.
"Working hard is the bit that has always come naturally to me – you don't need ability to run yourself into the ground!
"As far as I can see, you get that from all the lads at Burton and, really, it's the first thing you have to do as a footballer.
"If you know you couldn't try any harder, win, lose or draw, then the quality can follow on from that."
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HARD WORKER: Greg Pearson has made himself an automatic choice with 10 goals since arriving at Burton Albion from Bishop's Stortford in the summer.
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