United midfielder Josh Grant reflected on his cameo at Scunthorpe United, the team’s togetherness, and preparations for the FA Cup clash with Boston United.
Speaking to CUTV, he said: “It was good. It was a tough game for the boys. Scunthorpe are a good side, so we knew what we had to do. We worked on it during the week, so it was just seamless to come on and play,” he said.
Coming off the bench in a high-intensity match, Grant made an impact in the closing stages and helped the side see out a hard-earned win.
“It’s just another game, really. When you’re not playing, you want any bite of the cherry you can get, so it’s nice to be involved.
“The main thing now is to keep building on that and be consistent.”
The substitute appearance came in difficult circumstances after Junior Luamba was forced off following a heavy collision, and he admitted his first thoughts were with his teammate.
“The only thing going through my mind when I came on was hoping Junior was alright.
“It was a big knock, and that’s all I was thinking about before getting ready to come on.”
Once on the pitch, the message from the coaching staff was simple.
“The message from the coaches was just to play my game. Don’t overthink it, don’t put pressure on yourself - just go and do what you do best.”
The focus has now shifted to the weekend’s FA Cup fixture, with training described as sharp and positive ahead of another big test.
“It’s been a good week. Having no midweek game has helped us recover and get good detail on the opponents for Saturday.
“Boston will be tough, every game is this season, so we just need to go into it with the right mindset and hopefully come out with a win.”
Grant spoke about the importance of maintaining standards and approaching every fixture with the same mentality.
“Believing in ourselves and working hard is the key. Every game we go into, we want to win, no matter who we’re facing.
“We know what to expect, but we’ll keep those details to ourselves and look to put it into action on the pitch.”
He also praised the supporters for their backing, both at home and away.
“Playing in front of fans like ours is every player’s dream. They’ve been brilliant, home and away.
“There’ll be tough days, and we’ll have to grind out results at times like we did last weekend, but if they’re with us, we’re with them. Hopefully, we can keep giving them something to cheer about.”
Having joined the club in the summer, he is keen to build momentum and make the most of every opportunity as he continues to adapt to full-time football.
“It’s a long season. I haven’t played as much as I might have wanted to, but you have to look at the bigger picture.
“I came from part-time football last year, my body’s still adjusting, and I didn’t get a full pre-season because of an injury and everything going on at the time.
“It’s still early days, and I’m just looking forward to whatever opportunities come my way.”
Attention now turns to the FA Cup, a competition that always brings added excitement and ambition.
“Everyone loves the FA Cup. It’s massive in this country, and we all want to go as far as we can.
“The dream is always that third-round tie, but first and foremost, we’ve got to focus on getting through Saturday.”
And while he’s still settling into life in Cumbria, Grant says the support from those around him has made the move feel seamless.
“It’s obviously tough being far from home. I’m a long way from London, but the lads and the staff have made it really easy.
“It’s been seamless, really. I’ve got on with everyone, and the long trips we have give you time to talk and get to know the boys even more.
“It’s a great group to be part of.”
