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Ben Davies

Posted on: Fri 22 May 2009

Last time Town made the play-off final there was one notable player missing from the squad. Ben Davies had been instrumental in Town's success that season but an achillies injury picked up in the semi-final win at MK Dons put Davies out for 9 months.

This time around Benji has once again played a big part in Town getting to the final and now he is chomping at the bit for his Wembley chance: "It's nice to be involved in the build up this time rather than being in agony like last time.

"I managed to get down to final last time but I'd only had the operation on the Wednesday and was still in agony so Gary Peters sorted out a limo so I could keep my leg stretched out.

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"It was a painful day for me both physically and mentally but I've got the chance now to put the worse memory in my career into the best one.

"We know that we've got to go down there and get the right result or it will be a disappointing day for myself again and the team."

Town's recent results have seen them hit form going into the play-offs. The side's previous poor away results have been well and truly forgotten with important results at Rotherham, Bury and Dagenham:"Over the last few months we've put some decent performances together and got some good results especially away from home.

"We've already beaten two of the form sides in the league as well as the team who finished in fourth place and we are in the final on merit.

"We've been a lot more settled in our performances of late and not been so much up and down.

"There's now one more game so hopefully we can get the result we want and then push on for next season."

This time around the Town squad has a lot more experience in. That has seen a much better balance and more resilient side:"I think we have now got an experienced squad and one that can handle a day like this.

"The fans and everyone tend to get carried away but the lads within the squad know what we've got to do.

"We can't go down there and think we've got a day at Wembley, we have to go there with the focus of winning the game.

"You have to look at the bigger picture that if we get the result then we will be playing the likes of Norwich, Leeds, Charlton and Southampton next season."

Some say that Saturday's game will be just another game but at times it's hard to treat it that way:"It is hard to treat it as just another game but we do have the experienced players who have been there and done it before.

"There is that balance in the squad and I think the older lads can help the younger ones through.

"It will be hard as it is probably the biggest game in a lot of the lad's careers but I feel we can do it."

On the day it could be about which player stands up and becomes the match winner. There a number of players in both sides who can do that but Benji believes that Town are a match for any side:"If you look at the Gillingham side there are match winners in there but we have a number of those as well.

"We have played against them a couple of times before and we know what they are about.

"Gillingham are a good young side and we have to match them and hope that our match winners can perform on the day.

"We know that we are a match for any side in this division when we play to our strengths we can beat anyone."

The squad has grown together over the season and has become and even closer unit. The banter between the lads is superb but they also know what needs to be done to get the results on the pitch:"It's a great bunch of lads in the squad and we are really close and together.

"It's been like that all season and everyone knows everyone else inside out.

"We have really bonded and I don't think that you could get a closer spirit and that will help us through on Saturday."

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