Sam McCallum insists the Sky Blues will not allow “complacency” to creep in after their 1-0 win against Ipswich Town moved City five points clear at the top of the Sky Bet League One table yesterday.
The teenager helped City record a fourth clean sheet in six matches with Maty Godden’s early goal extending the Sky Blues unbeaten run in the league to 14 matches.
The defender also believes every game will be treated like a cup final from now until the end of the season with ten matches remaining.
McCallum said: “We’re just taking every game as it comes, we’ve got to treat every game from now on like a cup final and we can’t think too far ahead, we just need to keep taking each game as it comes and tick them off as they go.
“It’s a good run we’re on but we just need to stay consistent and we just can’t be complacent against any team because any team we play down the bottom of the table now will be fighting relegation.
“None of us can switch off at any minute of the game, from start to finish, we just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing for the last 14 games.
“You do get a sense of excitement from being top, but you can’t let it get to your head, there’s no complacency in the changing room and we’re staying disciplined.”
McCallum was also full of praise for match-winner Godden as well as midfield pair Liam Kelly and Liam Walsh and the three centre-backs who he believes have had an outstanding season.
“Matty is one of the older players, it helps us all when he leads from the front and it’s always good when you’ve got someone up top who’s leading the press and putting pressure on the opposition.
“We like an early lead at the moment, but it’s a case of not switching off at all for the rest of the game, it was a very good move for the goal, Walshy and Kells sitting in there at the heart of us, they keep ticking us over, and the back three behind them have been outstanding for the whole season.”
Despite the threat posed by the Tractor Boys, McCallum felt City dealt with everything Paul Lambert’s side threw at them even when having to clear the ball from underneath his own crossbar.
“They didn’t trouble Marko today, but there were a few scares when we’ve given free kicks away out wide with the tall players that they brought on, but we dealt with it alright.
“I probably could have been positioned even better, but I’ve helped Marko there because he wasn’t across, but you can’t blame him, it was definitely my man that’s come around the back and I had to deal with it.
“I feel like me and Franky give us a few options going forward as both Liam’s can switch the ball as and when they want to, we give them options out wide and then get the ball in for Matty and Baka and Max when they come on.”
Having been beaten by next weekend’s opponents Shrewsbury Town earlier in the season, McCallum hopes City can take all of their recent momentum into the fixture.
“We were beaten by them last time out, but I feel like with this run we’ve got going, we’ve got confidence going into this game, we just have to take each game as it comes and hopefully get the wins.
“Hopefully, we can get promoted, everyone at the club has done their part, we just need to keep doing what we’re doing until we’ve confirmed it.”