I DON’T want to jinx things – and regular readers will know I’m the last person to get caught up in any sort of excitement – but I have to say there’s a real sense of momentum around the football club at the moment.

Of course, results breed confidence, and we’ve played four now in total and won two and drawn two, which is a very respectable start.

The Brentford result really got everyone going, and we built on that with a hard-earned point away at Luton last Saturday, and recorded our first league win of the season against a decent Notts County side on Tuesday evening.

For those of you that haven’t worked in or around a professional football club, take it from me – they’re strange places.

Strange in a good way, but odd all the same.

What I mean is that a lot of the time it feels the whole mood of the club is dictated by what happens to the first team on a Saturday afternoon, or Tuesday night.

Everyone seems to be affected by results, and I really do mean everyone.

Win, and the next day people are cock-a-hoop – bouncing around with huge smiles on their faces and talking about promotion.

But then on the flip side, you lose a game and people are walking around as if the world’s about to end.

I don’t get too up or too down, but I understand it – there are so many people that are so invested in football clubs, they just care so much.

Right now things are looking very positive for us, and while it’s my job to keep confidence levels high, I’ve been in the game long enough to know that things can change very quickly.

Professional football is about small margins. Games can turn in a split second, and as a manager, I’m very mindful of that.

Last weekend’s game at Luton was a case in point.

I thought we acquitted ourselves pretty well, but after 82 minutes we’re 2-0 down and staring down the barrel at our first competitive league defeat since March 21.

We nicked one back and then with seconds remaining Pat Hoban turns a defeat into a draw and sends our travelling fans absolutely wild with delight.

We were definitely feeling more upbeat at the final whistle than they were, but we came very close to losing that match, and that’s my point – people’s outlooks going into Tuesday’s game would have been very different.

I thought we were tremendous against Notts County, particularly in the second half.

I was disappointed with the goal we conceded, but after I changed things we completely dominated, and could, and should, have scored five or six.

A lot of people have asked me about the substitution, replacing Pat with Callum O’Dowda midway through the half – and whether it was tactical or down to injury.

The truth is it was a bit of both.

Pat complained of stomach cramps before the game and we gave him some meds to try and clear things up.

Unfortunately they didn’t have the desired effect and I could see he wasn’t feeling great, though at the same time I recognised early on that our set up wasn’t quite right.

We needed a bit more pace up front, and more of a threat in behind them.

So I changed it.

As a manager, when you bring someone on and that player scores within minutes of joining the action, you’re pleased – it’s a very obvious indicator to show you’ve affected the match in a positive way.

more than that, I just felt we looked so much better as an offensive unit after Callum entered the fray, and with the changes, we were much better set up to hurt that particular Notts County side.

Those people who know me are aware I am very strong-willed, and that I’m not afraid to make big calls.

If I have to make tough decisions like that in future games then I will – it’s what I’m paid to do.

We’ve now got two massive games in front of us, starting today at Mansfield Town, and then of course, at Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday evening.

Clearly the league is our priority and we’ll be going all out to take all three points.

In many ways, Tuesday’s game is a nice distraction, but one I genuinely believe we have a chance of winning.

I expect Wednesday to be pushing for promotion to the Premier League, but this is a cup game, a one off, and as I said, confidence is high and momentum building.

The players and I will do everything we can to keep it going.