Ricky Ravenhill column

Cup runs are a nice distraction for the players and the fans. Some people say they are extra games you don’t need but I think it’s good to get away from the pressure of the league, especially when you are doing well.

I remember getting to the quarter-finals of the League Cup with Doncaster a few years ago and it was a fantastic time for everybody.

We beat Man City and then Aston Villa 3-0 before playing Arsenal at Belle Vue. We were ahead twice and within a minute of making the semis when they equalised at the end of extra-time, then beat us on penalties.

It felt great to be back on the pitch against Burton on Tuesday. The gaffer pulled me before the game, saying that I had nothing to prove and told me not to go tearing round the pitch.

I just enjoyed being out there and it was even better when we managed to get the win. We were definitely the better side. When we went 2-0 down it wasn’t a true reflection on the game.

They sat back and tried to hit us on the break and unfortunately we got caught out twice. The first goal was a good finish but I felt we should have done better with the marking from their corner for the second.

But we kept on going and I always felt we could get back in it. Dukey pulled off a big save at 2-1 down but, other than that, we dominated for the rest of the night.

Nobody could really argue with the result, even if we did leave it late. We created enough chances to have won three or four games.

I think everybody at the back of their minds was half-expecting the game to be off. It certainly would have been last year.

But the drainage they’ve done to the pitch over the summer and all the hard work of the ground staff paid off. The surface didn’t cut up and seemed to be wearing quite well right to the end.

It’s a big thing for us because of the way we want to play, getting the ball down and passing it. Having a decent pitch really helps.