Prat'll do nicely for Wanderers stars
12:10pm Saturday 2nd March 2013 in Sport By David Pye
WANDERERS’ midfield base has been key to their recent upturn in fortunes, and no-one has been more important than Darren Pratley.
That’s the view of his peers in the engine room, Jay Spearing and Stuart Holden, who are both full of praise for the 27-year-old who scored his first goal of the season with a flying header in the first minute against Hull a week ago.
Pratley has started nine successive matches ahead of today’s visit to Barnsley, passing the 50-appearance mark for Wanderers in that run.
And the man who joined from Swansea 18 months ago is now an integral part of the side according to his team-mates.
Spearing said: “He didn’t get as many goals as he wanted early on in the season and maybe his confidence was a bit low, but he’s come into the team and settled.
“He’s working hard, and sometimes out of position, but he’s doing it for the good of the team.”
Holden, who is yet to start with Pratley this season, paid tribute saying: “Darren might have taken a bit of time to settle but he’s arguably been our best player for the last month or so.
“His workrate has always been there and he flies around the pitch because he’s one of the fittest guys on the team.
“Now you can see that sharpness too, and the confidence he is playing with is nice to see.”
Holden is also impressed with the form of Chung-Yong Lee, saying: “Chungy is a game-changer. He’ll do the dirty work and dig in for the team, but he can also provide that little spark and moment of quality that can win you games.
“He’s such a threat down that left flank, especially in the formation we have been playing. He’s pinching in, finding good spaces and creating space for other players. It’s such a good weapon.
“It’s no coincidence that these guys are playing well and the team is winning games, because they are big players for us.”
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